m 


i 


m'M' 


m 


B 


ill 


i 


LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 


THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


BS2515  .GSl 

Exalted  fisherman;  a  pratttc. 

AND  DEVOTIONAL  STUDY  tn  THE  I 
EXPERIENCES  OF  THE  APOSTLE  S" 


The 

Exalted  Fisherman 


A  Practical  and  Devotional  Study  in 

the  Life  and  Experiences  of  the 

Apostle  St.  Peter 

BY 

JOSEPH  NELSON  GREENE 

Author  of  "  The  Gospel  in  Literature." 


CC"i  20  1925 


I 


THE  METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN 
NEW  YORK  CINCINNATI 


^mtmammur* 


CoFTBiaHT,   1914,  BT 

Joseph  Nelson  Gbeene 


PAGE 


Contents. 

PART  I. 

THE  TESTING  TIME. 

I.  The  Call  of  Simon,  -        -        -  _       9 

II.  Walking  the  Waves,    -        -  -          23 

III.  The  Divine  Confession,   -        -  -      36 

IV.'^The  Transfiguration,           -  -          51 

V.  Lessons  from  the  Teacher,     -  -      66 

(a)  On  Giving  Offense,   -  -          66 

(b)  On  Forgiveness,     -        -  -      74 
VI.  Lessons  from  the  Teacher,  -          81 

(a)  On  Reward  of  Service,  -      81 

(b)  On  the  "Last  Things,"  -          87 
VII.  In  the  Upper  Room,          ...      95 

VIII.  In  Gethsemane,     -        -        -  -        no 

IX.  The  Three  Denials,         -        .  _    125 

X.  Repentance  and  Restoration,  -        139 


CONTENTS. 

PART  II. 

THE  SEASON  OF  SERVICE. 

PAUE 

XI.    Peter  at  Pentecost,     -        -        -  157 

XII.    Peter  as  a  Preacher,       -         -  169 

XIII.  Peter  AS  A  Miracle  Worker,       -  182 

XIV.  Peter  Persecuted,    -        -        -  196 
XV.    Peter  God's  Executioner,  -        -  209 

XVI.    Peter  in  Prison,        -        -        -  223 

XVII.    Peter  in  Samaria,          -        -        -  236 

XVIII.    Peter  at  Lydda  and  Joppa,      -  249 

XIX.'  Peter  AND  Cornelius,           -        -  262 

XX.    Peter  Herod's  Victim,      -        -  276 

PART  III. 
THE  DAYS  OF  DECLINE. 

XXI.    The  Conference  at  Jerusalem,  -  291 

XXII.    The  Incident  at  Antioch,        -  304 

XXIII.    Traditional  Accounts,         -        -  316 


Foreword. 

We  are  in  the  age  of  the  practical.  Books 
and  men  are  valuable  as  they  touch  in  a 
practical  way  daily  problems  and  common 
life.  In  the  religious  realm  as  well  as  else- 
where that  only  is  worth  while  which  is  help- 
ful. There  is  a  place  for  doctrine  and  theory, 
but  utility  has  a  stronger  appeal  for  this  age. 

With  a  view  to  the  practical  and  the  de- 
votional this  volume  is  written.  The  char- 
acter of  Saint  Peter  is  prolific  in  helpful 
suggestions.  These  suggestions  are  herein 
applied  in  the  practical  and  devotional  way. 
The  historical,  descriptive,  and  exegetical 
elements  are  not  omitted,  but  the  practical 
and  devotional  are  chief. 

The  general  plan  is  to  present  the  life  of 
Saint  Peter  by  treating  chronologically  each 
prominent  recorded  incident  in  his  life.  The 
life  is  divided  into  three  parts.    By  studying 

5 


FOREWORD. 

the  details  of  each  part  a  comprehensive 
view  of  the  life  is  received  and  the  suggestive 
lessons  readily  appropriated.  The  plan 
offers  much  material  of  value  to  ministers, 
teachers,  and  Christian  workers  generally. 
The  author  desires  to  acknowledge  his  in- 
debtedness to  many  authors  and  works,  chief 
among  which  are  "The  Training  of  the 
Twelve,"  by  A.  B.  Bruce;  ''The  Life  and 
Times  of  Jesus,"  by  Edersheim;  "The  Mir- 
acles of  Our  Saviour,"  by  W.  M.  Taylor; 
"The  Apostolic  Life,"  by  Joseph  Parker; 
Hastings'  Bible  Dictionary,  and  The  Cam- 
bridge Bible. 


PART  ONE. 
THE  TESTING  TIME. 

(From  the  Call  of  Peter  to  Pentecost) 


CHAPTER I 

THE  CALL  OF  SIMON. 

Theke  is  in  Switzerland  a  class  of  men  whose 
business  is  to  photograph  the  mountains  of 
the  Alps  and  sell  the  pictures  to  travelers. 
These  men  have  found  that  some  of  the  moun- 
tains are  too  large  to  be  taken  by  their  cam- 
eras, hence  their  viewpoint  must  be  shifted 
and  such  mountains  as  the  Matterhorn  be 
taken  in  sections. 

It  is  likewise  true  that  some  lives  are  so 
great  that  they  can  not  be  photographed  at 
a  single  glance  or  from  a  single  viewpoint. 
When  we  undertake  to  photograph  the  lives 
of  those  men  whose  character  proportions 
were  made  colossal  by  their  spiritual  experi- 
ences and  by  their  association  with  the  Son 
of  God,  we  discover  that  the  picture  must  be 
taken  in  sections.  The  different  periods  com- 
posing the  life  must  be  noticed.  The  steps 
in  the  development  of  the  life,  and  the  in- 
fluences leading  to  that  development  must  be 
studied.    This  fact  is  signally  true  of  that  life 

9 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

which  began  its  fellowship  with  the  Savior  as 
an  uncouth  fisherman,  and  closed  it  as  an 
exalted  and  empowered  apostle, — the  life  of 
Simon  Peter,  the  exalted  fisherman. 

The  boyhood  days  of  a  great  life  are  al- 
ways full  of  interest  to  the  student  inasmuch 
as  '  *  the  child  is  the  father  of  the  man. ' '  The 
child  that  is  foretells  the  man  that  is  to  be. 
The  environment  of  Peter's  early  days  evi- 
dently affected  somewhat  his  later  life,  inas- 
much as  he  was  brought  up  in  a  fish  town. 
The  home  of  his  childhood  was  Bethsaida, 
the  word  meaning  in  the  original,  "Fish- 
town."  This  was  the  Bethsaida  that  stood 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  Here 
Peter's  parents  lived  their  humble  lives.  The 
father  was  evidently  a  fisherman,  Jona  by 
'name,  while,  according  to  tradition,  the 
mother's  name  was  Joanna.  Peter  and  An- 
drew, his  brother,  were  taught  the  craft  of 
their  father  and  grew  up  to  know  little  out- 
side of  the  circle  of  a  fisherman's  life.  The 
education  of  Peter  was  apparently  a  very 
limited  one,  consisting  of  the  meager  instruc- 
tion he  received  in  the  synagogue  schools 
found  in  almost  every  Jewish  community. 
That  he  was  unlettered  is  evident  from  a 

10 


THE  CALL  OF  SIMON. 

reference  to  Mm  in  the  Book  of  Acts  (4: 13), 
wherein  he  is  spoken  of  as  being  ''unlearned 
and  ignorant."  The  probability  is  that 
Peter  spent  his  early  days  more  in  work 
than  in  study.  This  fact  is  all  the  more 
probable  since  Peter  seems  to  have  been 
left  an  orphan,  as  is  concluded  by  some  stu- 
dents because  no  reference  is  made  to  his 
parents.  In  his  fishing  enterprises  he  is  rep- 
resented as  being  associated  with  James  and 
John,  but  his  father  is  not  mentioned.  Hence, 
it  is  inferred  that  Peter  was  one  of  that  class 
of  boys  who  at  an  early  age  have  to  provide 
for  themselves. 

Most  of  Peter's  early  life  was  likely  lived 
in  Bethsaida.  Later,  however,  when  the  Gos- 
pel accounts  open,  we  find  him  married  and 
living  in  Capernaum  with  his  wife  and 
mother-in-law.  Very  little  is  said  concern- 
ing his  wife,  but  her  loyalty  to  him  and  his 
cause  is  inferred  from  a  tradition  which  as- 
serts that  in  the  end  she  shared  martyrdom 
with  Peter  for  the  cause  of  Christ. 

The  time  of  Peter 's  birth  is  not  definitely 
known.  It  is  not  later  than  27  or  28  A.  D., 
when  we  find  him  a  man  with  a  family  living 
in  Capernaum.    At  that  time  he  must  have 

11 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

been  a  man  of  mature  years.  We  may  safelj- 
assume  that  bis  birth  occurred  some  time 
jjrior  to  the  birth  of  Jesus.  He  is  repre- 
sented in  tradition  and  in  art  as  being  older 
than  others  of  the  disciples.  In  the  lists  of 
the  apostles  given  in  the  Gospels,  Peter's 
name  stands  first,  which  may  lend  some  color 
to  the  belief  that  he  was  first  in  years  among 
The  Twelve. 

When  John  the  Baptist  came  preaching 
the  doctrine  of  repentance,  Peter  became  one 
of  his  disciples,  and  with  others  was  duly 
baptized.  The  leading  of  Peter  from  this 
discipleship  mtli  John  into  final  apostleship 
with  Christ  was  a  process  consisting  of  at 
least  three  distinct  steps.  We  may  desig- 
nate them  as  the  first  call  to  discipleship, 
the  second  call  to  discipleship,  and  the  choos- 
ing as  an  apostle. 

The  first  call  to  discipleship  with  Christ 
occurred  along  the  River  Jordan,  at  a  spot 
not  far  from  the  line  separating  Samaria 
from  Judea.  On  the  day  following  his  testi- 
mony before  the  priests  and  Levites,  John 
the  Baptist  was  walking  with  his  new  dis- 
ciples John  and  Andrew,  when  Jesus  ap- 
peared before  them,  John  the  Baptist  intro- 

12 


THE  CALL  OF  SBION. 

ducing  Him  by  saying,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God."  John  and  Andrew,  who  up  to  this 
time  had  been  the  disciples  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist, turned  and  followed  Jesus.  These  men 
have  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  per- 
sons of  whom  it  was  said,  ''They  followed 
Jesus."  However,  on  that  same  day,  An- 
drew, with  the  true  evangelistic  spirit,  sought 
out  his  own  brother,  Simon  Peter,  and 
brought  him  to  Jesus.  The  fact  that  Simon 
was  at  this  time  called  to  discipleship  is  seen 
from  the  statement  addressed  to  him  by 
Jesus,  ''Thou  art  Simon,  the  son  of  Jona: 
thou  shalt  be  called  Cephas,  which  is  by  in- 
terpretation, a  stone."  This  incident  con- 
stituted Peter's  first  call  to  discipleship. 
(John  1:35-42.) 

On  the  day  following  this  call,  Jesus,  in- 
tending to  go  into  Galilee,  called  two  other 
disciples,  Philip  and  Nathanael.  With  this 
company  of  five  followers  He  proceeded  to 
Cana,  where  the  first  miracle,  that  of  turn- 
ing water  into  wine,  was  performed.  The 
movements  of  this  little  company  are  fol- 
lowed only  with  some  difficult)^,  but  it  ap- 
pears that  they  journeyed  from  Cana  to 
Capernaum.  After  tarrying  there  a  short 
13 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

time,  they  journeyed  to  Jerusalem,  where  oc- 
curred the  first  cleansing  of  the  temple  by 
Jesus,  and  also  the  conversation  with  Nico- 
demus.  Then  came  the  journey  northward 
again,  the  little  company  passing  through 
Samaria,  in  which  country  occurred  the  fa- 
mous conversation  between  Christ  and  the 
woman  of  Samaria.  Jesus  journeyed  with 
the  disciples  as  far  as  Cana,  where  it  seems 
that  a  temporary  separation  occurred  be- 
tween the  disciples  and  their  Master.  The 
disciples  from  this  point  seem  to  have  pro- 
ceeded to  Capernaum,  while  Jesus  went  again 
to  Jerusalem  to  attend  an  unnamed  feast. 
Later,  Jesus  returned  to  Nazareth,  where 
occurred  His  rejection  by  the  people  of  His 
own  town.  Thence  He  proceeded  to  Caper- 
naum, where  His  disciples  had  preceded  Him, 
and  where  He  found  them  at  their  former 
occupation  of  fishing. 

The  second  call  of  Peter  to  discipleship 
occurred  at  this  point.  Peter  and  Andrew, 
in  company  with  James  and  John,  were  fish- 
ing in  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  They  had  toiled 
all  night  and  caught  nothing.  In  the  morn- 
ing Jesus  appeared  to  the  tired  fishermen 
and  turned  their  disappointment  and  failure 
14 


THE  CALL  OF  SIMON. 

into  joy  and  success.  He  instructed  Simon 
to  push  out  his  boat  from  the  shore  and  let 
down  his  net  for  a  new  effort.  After  raising 
a  brief  objection,  Simon  followed  the  instruc- 
tions, and  he  and  his  friends  caught  that 
morning  such  a  draught  of  fishes  as  never 
before  had  rewarded  their  efforts.  The  ef- 
fect was  more  pronounced  on  Peter  than  on 
any  of  his  companions.  He  seemed  to  catch 
a  vision  of  the  power  and  authority  of  his 
Master,  and  upon  landing  he  fell  at  the  feet 
of  Jesus  and  cried,  **  Depart  from  me,  for  I 
am  a  sinful  man.'*  It  was  probably  the  re- 
membrance of  the  objection  he  had  just  of- 
fered to  the  instructions  of  Jesus  that  caused 
him  to  feel  such  a  sense  of  humility  and 
guilt.  Peter  must  be  credited  with  ability 
to  see  his  faults,  and  he  had  many.  But 
he  was  always  penitent  when  he  felt  the 
force  of  those  faults.  This  trait  in  his  nature 
made  him  the  kind  of  clay  that  the  Master 
could  mold  into  such  a  useful  vessel.  It  was 
here  at  the  side  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  while 
the  penitent  disciple  was  in  his  penitence, 
that  Jesus  made  the  second  call  to  disciple- 
ship,  saying,  ''Fear  not;  from  henceforth 
thou  shalt  catch  men. ' '    Peter  had  just  made 

15 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

a  wonderful  catch  of  fish  while  acting  under 
his  Master 's  instructions.  Now,  acting  under 
the  same  instruction,  he  was  to  become  as 
successful  in  catching  men.  With  such  an 
object  lesson  before  him,  Peter  could  not 
doubt  the  Master 's  ability  to  lead  in  a  larger 
angling  enterprise,  so  he,  with  his  compan- 
ions, immediately  ''forsook  all  and  followed 
Him."  This  is  the  second  and  permanent 
call  to  discipleship. 

The  third  call  was  the  call  to  apostle- 
ship.  This  call  consisted  in  the  separation 
of  twelve  men  from  the  body  of  the  disciples 
and  the  setting  aside  of  The  Twelve  for  spe- 
cial work.  Peter  was  one  of  The  Twelve,  and 
his  name  heads  the  list.  This  separation  to 
apostleship  occurred  during  the  Lord's  Gali- 
lean ministry,  shortly  before  His  delivery  of 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 

These  three  steps  constitute  the  process 
of  Peter's  elevation  to  apostleship.  A  fourth 
call  is  sometimes  mentioned,  the  reference 
being  to  that  time  after  the  resurrection 
when  Jesus,  walking  again  by  the  Sea  of 
Galilee,  said  to  Peter,  ''Follow  Me."  This, 
however,  was  more  of  an  incidental  instruc- 
tion than  a  definite  call,  and  need  not,  there- 


^ 


THE  CALL  OF  SIMON. 

fore,  be  considered  in  a  study  of  Peter's  call 
to  apostleship.    (John  21: 19.) 

Scattered  along  the  pathway  of  this  call 
of  Peter  to  final  apostleship  there  are  some 
striking  scenes  which  emphasize  important 
spiritual  truths.  It  will  be  profitable  to  now^ 
call  attention  to  them  and  observe  their  prac- 
tical value.  The  scenes  may  be  appropriately 
labeled  as  follows: 

First,  an  excited  brother.  The  direct  ef- 
fect of  Andrew 's  discovery  of  the  Christ  was 
an  enthusiasm  for  a  like  discovery  on  the 
part  of  his  brother  Simon.  Evidently  in 
Andrew's  thought  nothing  that  could  come 
into  the  life  of  Simon  at  that  time  was  so 
important  as  the  discovery  of  the  Christ. 
The  record  says  that  he  first  found  his  own 
brother,  Simon.  Whatever  other  work  there 
may  have  been  that  day  for  Andrew  or  his 
brother,  it  was  all  submerged  in  the  supreme 
purpose  of  finding  the  Christ.  Peter  would 
not  have  found  Christ  that  day  had  it  not 
been  for  the  intense  earnestness  of  his 
brother  Andrew.  Perhaps  he  never  would 
have  found  Christ  had  he  not  found  Him  that 
day.  Who  knows?  This  spirit  of  Andrew 
is  the  natural  birthright  of  eve^y  true  Chris- 

17 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

tian.  He  who  finds  Christ  in  the  fullness 
of  His  saving  and  blessing  presence  mil  ex- 
perience the  overflow  of  altruism  which  finds 
its  level  only  in  the  bringing  of  another  soul 
to  enjoy  the  same  experience.  God's 
method  of  building  up  His  Kingdom  is  for 
the  overflow  of  one  soul's  delight  in  finding 
the  Master  to  sweep  another  soul  into  the 
Kingdom.  It  is  for  one  Christ-filled  life  to 
draw  another  life  which  knows  not  the  Christ. 
If  every  new  convert  through  the  ages  had 
followed  the  example  of  Andrew,  there  would 
not  be  an  unsaved  soul  in  the  world  to-day. 
Second,  empty  boats  filled.  Behold  the 
disappointed  fishermen  on  the  shore  wearied 
after  their  long,  fruitless  toil.  The  boats 
are  riding  lazily  on  the  waves,  empty  and 
idle.  But  see  them  later  weighted  to  the 
sinking-point  with  fish.  What  had  made  the 
difference?  Christ  had  come  in  the  mean- 
time. That  was  all.  The  empty  boats  spake 
of  failure,  the  full  ones  of  success.  The  ef- 
fect of  the  coming  of  Christ  into  life  is  just 
that — the  turning  of  failure  into  success. 
Life's  shore-line  is  lined  with  the  empty  boats 
that  speak  of  dismal  disappointments,  and 
furnish  the  evidences  of  manhood  and  wom- 

18 


THE  CALL  OF  SIMON. 

anhood  squandered  fruitlessly.  Failure  is 
prevalent.  Yet  there  is  not  a  single  empty 
boat  but  that  could  be  abundantly  filled  were 
Christ  admitted  into  it.  The  cause  of  a  large 
amount  of  worthless  living  is  the  conducting 
of  life  in  the  absence  of  the  Christ  principles 
and  life.  The  best  guarantee  of  a  successful 
life  is  the  presence  of  the  Christ  in  the  life 
mth  His  divine  ideals  and  principles. 

Third,  forsaken  nets.  The  statement  is 
made  that  when  the  Master  had  called  the 
disciples  to  Himself,  with  the  assurance  that 
they  should  become  fishers  of  men,  that  they 
forsook  all  and  followed  Him.  Among  the 
things  forsaken  were  their  nets,  the  sign  of 
their  craft.  Scattered  along  the  shore  of  the 
sea  were  those  forsaken  implements  sug- 
gestive of  their  old  vocation.  Discarded  and 
forgotten  they  lay,  while  their  owners  fol- 
lowed the  advancing  Christ.  Silent  they  lay, 
5^et  loud  in  their  utterance  of  spiritual  truth. 
No  life  can  follow  Christ  in  the  best  sense 
without  a  complete  forsaking  of  the  former 
implements  of  worldliness.  A  full  abandon- 
ment of  the  unrighteous  life  is  necessary. 
The  sin-nets  must  be  left  behind.  "Worldly 
ambition,  selfishness,  anger,  lust,  and  the  long 

19 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

list  of  kindred  evils  must  be  discarded  by 
the  sea  before  the  advance  with  the  Savior  is 
possible.  Let  the  follower  of  Jesus  ever  re- 
member that  there  is  irrevocable  enmity  be- 
tween the  world  and  the  Kingdom,  and  while 
the  former  is  retained  the  latter  can  not  be 
entered. 

Fourth,  a  fever-smitten  home.  One  of  the 
first  places  in  which  we  find  Christ,  after  He 
leaves  the  seashore  with  His  disciples,  is  the 
home  of  Peter,  in  which  Peter's  mother-in- 
law  lay  smitten  with  a  fever.  Before  Jesus 
entered  the  home  it  was  a  scene  of  suffering. 
Pain  and  sorrow  were  there.  But  a  wonder- 
ful transformation  occurred  when  Christ  en- 
tered the  home.  With  striking  simplicity  and 
ease  Christ  relieved  the  suffering,  and  the 
rejoicing  woman  rose  from  her  bed  of  sick- 
ness to  minister  unto  her  guests. 

The  Talmud  recites  a  magic  formula  for 
the  curing  of  such  a  burning  fever  as  is  hero 
mentioned.  It  advises  that  an  iron  knife  be 
tied  by  a  braid  of  hair  to  a  thornbush,  that 
the  verses  from  Exodus  3 : 2-5  be  repeated, 
that  the  thornbush  be  cut  down  during  the 
repeating  of  a  stated  formula,  and  the  result 
vAW  be  that  the  virtue  engendered  thus  will 

20 


THE  CALL  OF  SIMON. 

be  transmitted  to  the  afflicted  one,  and  the 
fever  will  be  healed.  The  absurdity  of  this 
method  of  cure  is  in  striking  contrast  with 
this  direct  and  simple  method  by  which 
Christ  cured  sickness  in  Peter's  home.  The 
benefits  of  Christ's  presence  are  not  difficult 
to  receive.  No  weird,  agonizing-  process  has 
to  be  endured  to  receive  His  blessings.  He 
gives  freely  and  frankly  to  such  as  will  re- 
ceive. 

But  the  important  point  to  be  observed 
here  is  the  effect  of  the  coming  of  Christ 
into  the  home.  At  the  presence  of  Jesus  the 
fever  was  rebuked  and  departed  like  an  evil 
spirit  from  the  suffering  body.  Disease  and 
suffering  vanished,  and  health  and  joy  came. 
It  was  a  new  home  after  the  coming  of  Jesus. 
Thus  in  the  beginning  of  His  ministry  the 
Lord  acted  the  prophecy  of  His  power  to 
transform  the  home.  Nothing  is  more  needed 
amidst  the  unrest  of  modern  social  life  than 
homes  that  are  made  happy  and  healthful 
by  the  presence  of  Christ.  The  home  is  the 
heart  of  society.  Keep  it  right  and  the  social 
blood  will  be  pure.  Robert  Burns,  in  ''The 
Cotter's  Saturday  Night,"  describes  a  home 
in  which  the  father  at  eventide  calls  the  fam- 
21 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

ily  around  the  fireside  while  he  reads  from 
the  Word  of  God  and  lifts  up  his  voice  in 
prayer.  It  is  the  picture  of  a  hgme  in  which 
Christ  is  enthroned.  And  the  poet,  after  de- 
scribing the  scene,  says,  "From  scenes  like 
•these  old  Scotia's  grandeur  springs."  It  is 
from  such  homes  as  these  that  the  grandeur 
of  any  nation  springs.  Such  homes  are  the 
guarantee  of  a  safe  and  sane  social  and  in- 
dividual life.  The  presence  of  Jesus  means 
spiritual  health  for  the  nation,  for  society, 
for  the  home,  and  for  the  individual. 


22 


CHAPTEE  II. 

WALKING  THE  WAVES. 

Between  the  call  of  Simon,  as  noticed  in  the 
preceding  chapter,  and  the  event  which  fur- 
nished the  subject  of  this  chapter,  there  oc- 
curred another  event  in  which  Simon  Peter 
was  concerned,  namely,  the  healing  of 
Jairus's  daughter.  The  name  of  Peter  is 
mentioned  in  connection  with  this  healing  as 
being  one  of  the  three  chosen  friends  whom 
Jesus  elected  to  accompany  Him.  This  fact 
suggests  the  nearness  of  Peter  to  the  Mas- 
ter's heart.  He  was  one  of  the  inner  circle 
of  the  Master's  friends.  The  incident  of  the 
healing,  however,  is  of  no  great  importance 
in  the  study  of  the  life  of  Peter,  hence  we 
pass  by  it,  mentioning  it  only  for  the  sake 
of  chronological  order. 

The  account  of  Christ's  walking  on  the 
waves  is  given  in  three  of  the  Gospels,  Mat- 
thew, Mark,  and  John.  But  the  effort  of 
Peter  to  imitate  Christ  by  attempting  him- 
self to  walk  on  the  waves  is  recorded  by  Mat- 

23 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

thew  only.  For  a  complete  description  of  the 
incident  it  is  necessary  to  draw  from  all  the 
Gospel  accounts. 

The  event  occurred  shortly  after  feeding 
the  five  thousand  near  Bethsaida,  on  the 
northeastern  side  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  The 
immediate  result  of  Christ 's  miracle  in  feed- 
ing the  five  thousand  was  that  the  people 
were  aroused  to  compel  Him  to  become  king. 
To  prevent  His  disciples  from  participating 
in  that  distasteful  purpose,  Jesus  persuaded 
them  to  cross  over  the  sea,  going  either 
to  Bethsaida  on  the  western  side,  or  to 
Capernaum.  He  then  dismissed  the  multi- 
tude and  went  alone  up  into  a  mountain  to 
pray.  Leaving  Him  alone  for  a  moment  in 
the  solitude  of  the  mountain  retreat,  we  will 
follow  the  experiences  of  the  disciples. 

Obedient  to  the  instructions  of  Jesus,  the 
disciples  began  the  voyage  to  the  western 
shore  of  Galilee.  It  was  evening.  The  pros- 
pect of  a  safe  and  pleasant  journey  was  be- 
fore them.  But  after  they  had  rowed  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  furlongs,  a  distance  of  two  and 
one-half  or  three  miles,  a  sudden  storm  arose. 
It  was  one  of  those  local  squalls  so  common 
on  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  The  suddenness  of 
24 


WALKING  THE  WAVES. 

this  storm  suggests  some  interesting  facts 
concerning  this  little  sea.  It  is  not  a  large 
body  of  water,  being  something  like  six  miles 
in  width  and  some  sixteen  or  seventeen  miles 
in  length.  The  sea  lies  in  a  deep  depression, 
which  is  probably  volcanic  in  origin.  The 
surface  of  the  lake  is  about  seven  hundred 
feet  below  the  level  of  the  sea.  From  the 
edge  of  the  water  a  low  beach  stretches  for 
a  short  distance.  This  beach  is  bordered  by 
mountains  which  rise  to  considerable  height, 
some  of  them  reaching  as  high  as  two  thou- 
sand feet.  The  difference  of  elevation  be- 
tween the  lake  and  the  mountains  makes  a 
striking  difference  in  their  temperatures.  On 
the  lake  it  is  warm  and  sultry,  while  on  the 
mountains  it  is  cool  and  invigorating.  This 
difference  in  temperature  accounts  for  the 
sudden  squalls.  The  warm  air  rising  from 
the  lake  creates  an  opening  for  the  cooler  air 
from  the  mountains  to  occupy,  which  it  does 
freely,  rushing  in  sometimes  at  a  terrific  rate. 
Sudden  and  dangerous  storms  are  the  result. 
It  was  a  storm  of  this  kind  that  overtook  the 
disciples.  It  struck  them  when  they  were 
about  half  way  across  the  lake,  and  it  was 
evidently  severe  in  its  character,  for  the  dis- 
25 


/ 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

ciples  rowed  against  it  until  the  early  morn- 
ing hours  and  had  made  very  little  progress. 
It  was  while  they  were  in  the  midst  of 
their  toiling  against  the  waves  that  Christ 
appeared  unto  the  disciples,  walking  on  the 
waves.  There  are  two  or  three  explanations 
given  for  His  appearance  at  that  moment  and 
in  that  way.  It  is  thought  by  some  that 
from  His  elevated  position  on  the  mountain- 
side Jesus  could  look  out  over  the  lake,  lying 
there  like  a  sheet  of  silver  in  the  moonlight, 
for  such  a  storm  as  has  been  described  could 
occur  without  clouds  blackening  the  heavens. 
Looking  thus,  it  is  supposed  that  Christ  saw 
the  boat  lying  like  a  dark  object  on  the  water 
and  making  no  progress.  He  therefore  went 
to  their  relief,  walking  on  the  water  the  dis- 
tance of  two  and  one-half  or  three  miles. 
This  theory  is  objectionable  because  no  moon- 
light would  be  sufficiently  bright  to  enable 
Christ  to  identify  His  own  disciples  at  such 
a  distance.  There  were  likely  other  boats 
on  the  sea,  caught  by  the  storm.  At  so  great 
a  distance  it  would  be  next  to  impossible  to 
distinguish  one  boat  from  another  even  in 
daylight,  much  less  by  moonlight.  The 
theory  that  Christ  came  to  the  disciples  be- 

26 


WALKING  THE  WAVES. 

cause  He  saw  from  the  mountain  their  dis- 
tress must  be  given  up. 

Another  theory  is  that  Jesus  prayed  in 
the  mountain  until  the  fourth  watch,  as  the 
account  says,  by  which  time  it  was  light 
enough  to  see  the  toiling  disciples,  and  thus 
observing  their  helpless  condition,  Jesus 
came  to  their  relief.  The  time  indicated  in 
the  account  would  be  somewhere  between 
three  and  six  o'clock  in  the  morning.  But, 
assuming  that  the  hour  was  so  late  as  that, 
and  that  it  was  daylight,  the  same  objection 
would  hold  as  in  the  former  case.  The  dis- 
tance would  be  too  great  to  distinguish  the 
boat  from  others. 

There  is,  however,  another  theory  which 
seems  more  reasonable.  It  is  that  Jesus 
prayed  in  the  mountain  until  a  late  hour,  as 
was  His  custom,  and  then,  following  His 
original  intention,  started  to  Capernaum  on 
foot,  walking  along  the  northern  shore  of 
the  lake.  We  must  remember  that  He  had 
sent  His  disciples  back  by  boat,  hence  He 
must  have  intended  to  make  His  return  jour- 
ney on  foot.  The  natural  route  would  be 
along  the  northern  shore.  Now,  if  the  map 
of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  be  studied,  it  will  be 

27 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

seen  that  the  disciples,  in  rowing  from  their 
starting-point  on  the  eastern  shore  and  going 
directly  to  Capernaum,  would  not  at  any  time 
be  much  more  than  one-half  mile  from  the 
northern  shore  line.  Jesus,  passing  along  the 
shore  in  the  light  of  the  early  morning,  could 
see  the  storm-tossed  boat  and  the  toiling  dis- 
ciples. Seeing  them  thus  in  their  helpless 
condition,  He  immediately  went  to  their  re- 
lief, walking  on  the  waves  a  distance  of  one- 
half  mile  instead  or  two  or  three  miles. 

Mark  tells  us  that  Jesus  made  as  if  He 
would  pass  by  the  Disciples.  The  purpose 
of  this  act  was  evidently  to  attract  attention 
before  advancing  directly  toward  the  disci- 
ples, thus  avoiding  some  of  the  fright  which 
might  be  occasioned  if  they  saw  the  strange 
figure  bearing  directly  down  upon  them. 
Even  as  it  was  they  supposed  that  they  had 
seen  an  apparition,  and  cried  out  in  their 
fear.  Their  fears  were  quickly  relieved,  how- 
ever, as  they  heard  the  familiar  voice  of  the 
Master  sounding  above  the  noise  of  the  waves 
and  saying,  "  It  is  I ;  be  not  afraid. ' ' 

The  part  that  Peter  played  in  this  inci- 
dent occurred  at  this  point.  He  answered 
the  voice  of  Jesus  by  saying,  ''Lord,  if  it  be 
28 


WALKING  THE  WAVES. 

Thou,  bid  me  come  unto  Thee  on  the  water. ' ' 
That  ''if"  sounds  like  Peter  had  some  doubt 
as  to  whether  the  strange  figure  were  really 
the  Lord.  But  it  must  not  be  so  interpreted. 
Peter  had  perhaps  doubted  at  first,  and  imag- 
ined he  saw  a  ghost.  But  now  his  doubts 
were  vanishing,  for  he  recognized  the  Master. 
Some  one  has  said  that  "if  "  was  the  last  echo 
of  his  doubt.  It  was  as  if  Peter  said,  "Lord, 
since  it  is  Thou  and  not  a  ghost,  let  me  come 
to  Thee  on  the  waves  1 ' '  This  request  shows 
the  childlike  impulsiveness  of  Peter.  The 
possession  of  that  impulsiveness  of  nature 
may  have  furnished  one  ground  for  Christ's 
interest  in  Peter.  Impulsiveness  is  very 
closely  akin  to  energy,  and  when  rightly  con- 
trolled by  judgment,  is  a  power.  Jesus  per- 
haps saw  that  this  element  in  Peter  would 
become  tempered,  and  after  a  while  be  har- 
nessed by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it 
really  was  at  Pentecost,  and  that  then  its  pos- 
sessor would  become  a  most  valuable  instru- 
ment in  establishing  the  Kingdom  on  earth. 
And  so  Jesus  reckoned  with  that  impulsive- 
ness as  in  the  present  case.  He  doubtless 
saw,  too,  a  good  opportunity  to  teach  a 
needed  lesson  in  human  helplessness  and  di- 
29 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

vine  power.  His  reply  to  Peter  therefore 
was,  * '  Come. ' '  And  so  Peter  makes  the  start 
He  does  n  't  stop  to  think  of  the  absurdity  of 
his  venture,  or  of  the  danger  involved.  His 
whole  thought  is  fixed  on  Jesus.  And, 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  he  actually  walks  a 
little  on  the  water.  (Matt.  14:29.)  That 
concentration  of  thought  on  Jesus  seems  to 
furnish  Peter  a  bridge  above  the  waves,  and 
on  it  he  walks. 

That  triumph  over  nature,  however,  was 
exceedingly  short.  Suddenly  a  strong  gust 
of  wind  came  sweeping  over  the  crest  of  the 
waves.  It  struck  Peter  with  full  force  and  he 
became  alarmed.  For  a  moment  he  forgot 
Jesus  and  thought  of  the  wind  and  the  dan- 
ger. The  consequence  was  that  he  began  to 
sink.  The  waters  rose  higher  and  higher 
about  him,  and  in  his  alarm  the  sinking  man 
cried,  ''Lord,  save  me."  Jesus  immediately, 
or,  as  the  original  word  implies,  in  great 
haste,  stretched  forth  His  hand  and  rescued 
Peter.  Jesus  then  in  addressing  Peter  gave 
him  a  new  name,  even  as  He  did  when  He  first 
called  him  to  discipleship.  According  to  the 
King  James  translation,  Jesus  said,  ''0  thou 
of  little  faith,  wherefore  didst  thou  doubt?" 

30 


WALKING  THE  WAVES. 

But  literally  He  said,  '  *  Littlef aith,  wliy  did 
you  doubt?"  The  new  name  He  gives  Peter 
is  ' * Littlef aith. "  Various  were  the  names 
the  Lord  gave  to  this  changeable  disciple: 
' '  Cephas, "  "  Littlef aith, "  ' '  Satan. ' '  Yet  in 
all  of  these  instances  Jesus  was  evidently 
attempting  to  reveal  to  Peter  a  glimpse  of 
his  needy  nature.  In  this  instance,  having 
administered  the  gentle  rebuke  contained  in 
the  name  '*  Littlef  aith, "  Jesus  stepped  with 
Peter  into  the  boat,  and  the  storm  ceased. 

In  this  strange  incident  the  truth  is  strik- 
ingly presented  that  the  disciple  must  be 
utterly  dependent  upon  the  Master  for  power. 
This  was  a  lesson  Peter  needed  very  much 
to  learn.  He  was  inclined  to  look  to  himself 
for  the  sources  of  power.  Instead  of  feeling 
the  need  of  borrowing  power  from  the  Mas- 
ter, Peter  felt  that  he  had  ability  to  loan.  On 
the  night  of  denial,  instead  of  feeling  that  he 
had  need  of  the  Lord's  assistance,  he  felt 
rather  that  the  Lord  had  need  of  him,  hence 
Peter  even  dared  to  assure  the  Lord  that  he 
would  stand  by  Him  to  the  last.  Peter  lacked 
the  sense  of  dependence,  and  was  supplied 
with  an  over-amount  of  self-assurance.  He 
was  slow  to  learn  his  needs.  In  the  present 
31 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

instance,  while  he  had  every  opportunity  of 
learning  the  lesson  of  dependence  on  the 
Lord,  he  learned  it  poorly,  as  later  events 
show.  However,  the  fact  that  he  came  to 
learn  the  lesson  at  last  is  evident,  for  after 
the  experience  at  Pentecost,  Peter  did  not 
assume  to  do  any  of  the  work  of  the  Kingdom 
in  his  own  strength.  It  was  always  "in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth. ' '  Despite 
Peter's  poor  learning  of  the  lesson,  it  was 
there.  Modern  disciples,  reading  this  event 
in  the  light  of  subsequent  years,  may  learn 
the  lesson  better  than  did  Peter.  Yet  the 
lesson  is  as  poorly  learned  by  many.  It 
surely  would  be  unbecoming  for  a  modern 
Christian  who  has  failed  to  learn  the  lesson 
to  censure  Peter  for  his  dullness.  The  truth 
stands  to-day  as  evident  as  it  did  in  the  time 
of  the  Psalmist  and  the  time  of  Peter,  **Our 
help  Cometh  from  the  Lord. ' ' 

There  is  an  old  tradition  to  the  effect  that 
when  the  Holy  Family  were  making  their 
flight  into  Egjq^t,  and  as  they  were  approach- 
ing the  city  of  Heliopolis,  a  tree  which  grew 
near  the  city  and  which  was  supposed  to  be 
the  seat  of  a  god,  bowed  its  branches  to  the 
earth  in  homage  to  the  infant  Christ.    Idols 

•?9 


WALKING  THE  WAVEi^f. 

also  fell  from  their  places  at  the  approach  of 
the  Holy  Babe  and  lay  in  broken  fragments 
by  the  wayside.  The  evident  purpose  of  the 
tradition  is  to  present  the  power  of  Jesus 
as  the  power  above  all  powers.  It  contains, 
therefore,  a  germ  of  truth.  The  power  of 
Jesus  is  supreme.  The  power  the  Christian 
needs  to  welcome  into  his  life  is  the  power  of 
Christ.  The  life  that  is  the  most  satisfactory 
to  itself  and  the  most  pleasing  to  the  Master 
is  the  one  that  leans  not  at  all  on  self,  but 
altogether  on  Christ.  The  hand  that  saved 
Peter  is  the  one  even  to-day  that  gives  the 
best  support  when  the  sea  is  rough  or  the 
way  dark. 

Peter  discovered  also  that  the  transfer 
of  his  attention  from  Jesus  was  dangerous. 
He  walked  the  wave  successfully  while  his 
eye  was  fixed  on  the  Master.  But  when  he 
looked  away  from  Jesus  and  saw  the  stormy 
sea,  he  was  smitten  with  fear  and  began 
to  sink. 

The  transfer  of  attention  from  Jesus  to 
the  world  is  always  dangerous.  As  long  as 
the  eye  of  the  Christian  is  fixed  on  the  Mas- 
ter, he  is  safe.  While  the  Savior  is  looked 
to  as  the  life's   Guide;  while  the  will  of 

'  33 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Christ  is  supreme;  while  the  world  is  for- 
gotten in  the  fixed  purpose  of  the  soul  to  look 
to  the  Lord  for  guidance,  the  life  can  never 
sink.  But  let  the  attention  be  taken  from 
the  Lord  and  centered  on  the  world;  let 
Christ  be  obscured  and  the  elements  of  the 
carnal  life  magnified,  and  the  life  will  surely- 
become  engulfed.  Ask  any  of  the  large  and 
sad  army  of  fallen  disciples  for  the  story 
of  their  fall,  and  the  answer  will  be  that  their 
decline  began  when  they  transferred  their 
gaze  from  Christ  to  the  world.  There  is 
much  sound  pliilosophy  in  the  injunction  to 
run  with  patience  the  race,  looking — continu- 
ally looking — unto  Jesus,  the  Author  and 
Finisher  of  our  faith.  The  heart  sometimes 
follows  the  eye  spiritually  as  well  as  materi- 
ally. 

The  safest  and  happiest  life  is  the  one  in 
which  Jesus  holds  the  hand.  The  picture  of 
Jesus  and  Peter  walking  hand  in  hand  across 
the  water  back  to  the  boat  is  a  suggestive 
one.  Peter's  fears  are  all  gone  now.  There 
is  a  smile  of  assurance  on  his  face,  because 
he  is  now  in  league  with  the  Master  of  the 
sea.  He  himself  is  master  of  the  sea.  Mas- 
ter, not  because  of  any  virtue  he  possesses, 
34 


WALKING  THE  WAVES. 

but  because  Jesus  holds  his  hand.  The  spir- 
itual application  of  that  picture  is  inspiring. 
Safe  and  victorious  is  that  life  which  walks 
hand  in  hand  with  our  Lord.  The  path  may 
be  rough,  the  dangers  may  be  many,  but  with 
Christ  the  life  may  move  serenely  and  tri- 
umphantly on.  Fears  are  transformed  into 
smiles,  and  the  sinking  life  rises  to  a  forward 
march  in  company  with  the  King. 

There  is  a  beautiful  spirit  revealed  in  a 
prayer  Martin  Luther  once  uttered.  He  said : 
"0,  my  most  dear  God,  I  thank  Thee  that 
Thou  hast  made  me  poor  and  a  beggar  upon 
earth.  0  God,  punish  me  rather  ^^'ith  pesti- 
lence, terrible  sickness,  with  war,  with  any- 
thing rather  than  that  Thou  he  silent  unto 
me."  The  longing  of  the  good  man's  soul 
was  that  the  Lord  should  be  consciously  near 
unto  him ;  that  as  the  Lord  walked  with  Peter 
across  the  waves,  so  He  should  walk  ever 
at  his  side.  The  troubled  but  trustful  re- 
former knew  the  value  of  that  companion- 
ship. Its  absence  would  be  worse  than  pesti- 
lence or  sickness.  Likewise,  the  concern  of 
every  Christian  should  be  that  the  Lord  be 
not  absent  from  him.  His  prayer  should  be 
that  the  Lord  be  not  silent  unto  him. 
35 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  DIVINE  CONFESSION. 

The  life  of  St.  Peter  is  so  closely  connected 
with  the  life  of  Christ  that  in  stnd\ing  the 
former  we  must  frequently  refer  to  the  latter. 
In  the  scene  described  in  the  last  chapter, 
Jesus  was  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Sea  of  Gali- 
lee.    Shortly  after  performing  the  miracle 
of  walking  the  waves,  Jesus  took  a  journey 
northward  into  a  country  He  had  not  visited 
up  to  this  time.    This  journey  is  known  as 
the  first  northern  journey  for  retirement. 
It  was  during  this  visit  that  the  Syrophoe- 
nician's    daughter   was    healed.     The   visit 
seems  to  have  been  of  short  duration,  for  we 
soon  find  Jesus  returning  to  the  Sea  of  Gali- 
lee, passing  through  Decapolis.     He  prob- 
ably returned  by  way  of  the  eastern  Beth- 
saida,  as  it  was  about  this  time  in  His  public 
ministry  that  we  find  Him  healing  the  blind 
man  near  Bethsaida,  and  feeding  the  multi- 
tude of  four  thousand  in  the  same  vicinity. 
From  these  events,  however,  Jesus  turned 
36 


THE  DIVINE  CONFESSION. 

again  to  northern  Galilee,  going,  as  Matthew 
says,  into  the  coasts  of  CaBsarea  Philippi. 
This  is  known  as  the  second  northern  jour- 
ney for  retirement.  It  was  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Caesarea  Philippi  that  the  event  dis- 
cussed in  this  chapter  occurred,  namely, 
Peter 's  confession  of  his  faith  in  the  divinity 
of  Christ. 

The  purpose  of  Jesus  in  taking  this  jour- 
ney to  the  north  was  probably  to  avoid  the 
dangers  and  inconveniences  arising  from  His 
miraculous  ministry  in  Galilee.  The  bloody 
hand  of  Herod,  which  had  caused  the  death 
of  John  the  Baptist,  was  now  seeking  His 
life.  The  Sadducees  and  Pharisees  were  be- 
coming annoying  in  their  persecutions.  They 
had  just  demanded  a  sign  from  Jesus,  which 
He  had  refused  to  give,  and  His  enemies  were 
therefore  saying  that  He  was  not  able  to  give 
proof  of  His  Messiahship.  It  is  probable, 
too,  that  within  the  circle  of  His  own  dis- 
ciples a  little  discontent  had  begun  to  arise. 
They  had  expected  Christ  to  become  king,  and 
yet  only  a  short  time  before,  when  the  multi- 
tude had  desired  to  declare  Jesus  king.  He 
had  refused  and  seemed  almost  grieved  at 
the  suggestion.  It  was  natural  that  His  dis- 
37 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

ciples  should  be  a  little  discouraged.    If  the 
truth  could  be  known,  we  would  probably  find 
that  the  shaking  of  the  faith  of  Judas  and  the 
beginning  of  his  apostasy  dated  from  these 
troubled  days  and   seemingly  unhappy  ex- 
periences of  Jesus  around  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 
With   such  conditions  confronting  Him,   it 
was  natural  that  Jesus  should  desire  to  with- 
draw with  His  disciples,  leaving  behind  the 
multitudes  and  the  enemies,  and  seek  a  quiet 
spot  where  He  could  commune  with  the  Fa- 
ther and  instruct  His  chosen  followers  as  to 
the   crisis    of   suffering   and   death   toward 
which  He  must  soon  proceed.     Hence   He 
sought  one  of  nature's  most  quiet  retreats, 
where   the   chief    spectators   would   be    the 
mountains  and  the  forest  trees.     The  spot 
selected  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mt.  Her- 
mon,  one  of  the  most  picturesque  regions 
found  in  all  Palestine.    It  was  here  that  Peter 
made  his  confession  of  faith  in  the  divinity 
of  Jesus. 

The  path  which  Jesus  and  His  compan- 
ions must  have  traveled  leads,  as  we  are  told, 
over  *'an  unwonted  carpet  of  turf,  through 
trees  of  every  variety  of  foliage,  through  a 
park-like  verdure,"  until  the  snow-covered 

38 


THE  DIVINE  CONFESSION. 

top  of  Mt.  Hemion  appears.  The  snowy  top 
is  gradually  shut  from  view  by  its  approach- 
ing nearness.  The  rush  of  waters  is  heard 
as  they  leap  down  the  mountain  side  and  oft* 
into  the  valley.  Soon  an  ancient  Roman  towm 
looms  up  on  the  mountain  side,  lying  amid 
groves  of  olive  trees.  This  is  Cassarea  Phi- 
lippi,  which  in  the  time  of  Jesus  was  a  thriv- 
ing little  city.  Close  to  this  town  the  moun- 
tain side  forms  a  solid  wall  of  stone — a  rocky 
cliff.  From  a  depression  or  cave  beneath 
this  rocky  wall  there  issue  many  little 
streams,  which  collect  into  a  basin  and  form 
a  larger  stream,  which  as  it  flows  on  widens 
into  the  famous  Jordan  River.  The  cave  in 
the  rocky  wall  just  mentioned  is  the  upper 
source  of  the  Jordan.  It  was  near  the  base 
of  this  quiet  Mt.  Hermon,  where  no  sound 
save  the  murmuring  of  the  waters  and  the 
singing  of  the  birds  could  disturb  Him,  that 
Jesus  led  His  disciples  and  put  to  them  the 
questions  concerning  His  Divine  Sonship. 
(Matt.  16:13-20.) 

The  question  proposed  first  by  Jesus  was, 
*'Who  do  men  say  that  I,  the  Son  of  man, 
am?'^  The  conversation  which  follows  re- 
veals clearly  the  opinion  of  the  public  con- 

39 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

cerning  Jesus.  If  the  question  arises  as  to 
why  Jesus  put  this  question  to  His  disciples, 
the  answer,  in  part  at  least,  would  be  that 
He  desired  to  call  their  attention  to  the  preju- 
diced opinion  the  public  held  of  Him,  and  in 
the  face  of  that  false  opinion  to  test  the 
opinion  held  by  the  disciples,  and  if  possible, 
strengthen  them  in  the  true  view.  The  faith 
in  the  hearts  of  the  disciples  that  Jesus  was 
really  the  Son  of  God  w^ould  mean  much  in 
strengthening  the  devotion  of  the  disciples  in 
that  time  of  crisis.  He  was  just  about  to 
reveal  to  the  disciples  something  of  His  ap^ 
proaching  suffering  and  death,  and  He  de- 
sired them  to  be  thoroughly  grounded  in  the 
faith  of  His  divinity  before  He  revealed  to 
them  those  coming  calamities  which  might 
further  disturb  their  already  troubled  minds. 
So  the  question  is  put  touching  the  public's 
view  of  His  divinity.  The  answer  to  His 
question  was,  ''Some  say  that  Thou  art  John 
the  Baptist;  some  Elias,  and  others,  Jere- 
mias,  or  one  of  the  prophets."  The  answer 
showed  that  the  opinion  of  the  public  was 
at  least  complimentary.  The  public  did  not 
think  Jesus  was  actually  one  of  the  great  men 
named,  but  that  He  was  a  great  person  such  as 

40 


THE  DIVINE  CONFESSION. 

they  had  been.  Just  as  when  we  hear  a  great 
orator  we  say,  ** Another  Demosthenes  has 
arisen,"  so  they  were  saying,  "Another  John 
the  Baptist,  Elias,  or  Jeremias  has  arisen." 
The  largeness  of  the  compliment  is  seen  when 
we  recall  in  what  great  prominence  these 
names  were  held  among  the  Jews.  The  pub- 
lic estimated  Jesus  highly,  but  they  had  not 
risen  to  the  lofty  conception  that  He  was  the 
Messiah.  It  was  to  this  higher  conception, 
however,  that  Jesus  desired  to  lead  the  dis- 
ciples, hence  He  asked  the  second  question, 
which  provoked  Peter's  opinion  of  Jesus. 

This  second  question  was,  ''Who  say  ye 
that  I  am?"  The  emphasis  is  thrown  upon 
the  word  *  *  ye. "  Jesus  wanted  to  draw  a  con- 
trast between  the  opinion  of  His  disciples 
and  the  opinion  of  the  public.  It  may  be  sup- 
posed, too,  that  Jesus  was  exercising  some- 
thing of  a  personal  element  in  asking  this 
question.  He  would  emphasize  the  fact  of 
His  Sonship,  certainly.  But  aside  from  that. 
He  would  enjoy  the  personal  satisfaction  of 
hearing  from  the  lips  of  His  disciples  a  con- 
fession of  His  greatness,  which  was  denied 
Him  by  the  public.  Link  this  personal  ele- 
ment with  the  desire  of  Jesus  to  have  His 
41 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

disciples  thoroughly  grounded  in  the  faith  of 
His  divinity  before  the  final  crisis  came,  and 
the  motive  of  the  Master  becomes  apparent. 

In  answer  to  this  second  question  came 
the  divine  confession  from  the  lips  of  Peter, 
"Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God."  In  this  statement  we  see  Peter  at  his 
best.  He  seems  to  rise  for  a  moment  above 
his  other  self  as  Mt.  Hermon  arose  in  snow- 
capped grandeur  above  the  common  hills. 
Peter  was  a  mixture  of  good  and  bad,  of 
strength  and  weakness.  AVe  saw  his  little- 
ness as  he  was  sinking  helplessly  beneath  the 
waves,  crying  for  help.  We  here  see  his  big- 
ness as  he  stands  spokesman  for  the  disciples 
and  Church,  and  makes  the  first  recorded 
confession  of  the  divinity  of  Jesus.  The  con- 
fession appears  the  grander  when  we  recall 
the  fact  that  it  was  made  in  the  face  of  an 
opposite  public  opinion,  and  in  spite  of  the 
wavering  faith  of  some  of  the  disciples. 
Peter  frequently  went  with  the  crowd,  but 
here  he  stands  opposed  to  the  crowd,  and 
alone  stays  the  tide  of  criticism  and  doubt. 

The  content  of  this  confession  is  deeply 
significant.  Peter  confessed  to  the  Messiah- 
ship  of  Jesus.     But  that  was  not  all.     The 

42 


THE  DIVINE  CONFESSION. 

Jews  looked  for  a  Messiah  who  should  be 
merely  a  man  endowed  with  unusual  gifts. 
Peter  declares  Jesus  such  a  Messiah,  but 
more.  He  is  the  Son  of  God.  In  short, 
Peter's  confession  went  not  only  past  public 
opinion,  but  past  the  Jewish  expectation,  and 
declared  Christ  divine. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  fact  that 
Jesus  appreciated  this  opinion  of  Peter.  His 
actions  showed  it.  He  immediately  gave  a 
benediction  and  a  promise  of  reward. 

The  benediction  consisted  in  the  utter- 
ance, ''Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-jona: 
for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto 
thee,  by  My  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 
Peter  was  fortunate  or  blessed  in  that  he  had 
learned  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  but 
he  was  fortunate  also  because  that  truth  had 
been  revealed  to  him  from  a  divine  source. 
The  expression  "flesh  and  blood"  is  used 
here  to  designate  the  human  source  of  knowl- 
edge in  contrast  with  the  divine.  Peter  had 
not  learned  his  lesson  from  any  human 
source,  but  from  God.  In  spite  of  his  imper- 
fections, Peter  had  advanced  sufficiently  in 
his  association  with  Jesus  to  be  able  to  re- 
ceive impressions  from  divine  sources.  His 
43 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

experience  would  seem  to  indicate  that  faith 
in  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God  flourishes  best 
in  that  life  that  is  open  to  the  impressions 
from  divine  sources. 

The  promise  of  reward  referred  to  above 
was  given  in  the  words  of  Jesus,  ''Thou  art 
Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  build  My 
Church."  The  word  Peter  in  the  original 
is  "petros,"  which  means  rock  or  a  piece  of 
rock.  When  Jesus  first  called  Peter,  He  said 
to  him, ' '  ThoU  art  Simon ;  thou  shalt  be  called 
Cephas,  which  is  by  interpretation  a  rock." 
Here  that  prophecy  is  fulfilled  and  Peter  be- 
comes the  rock.  Literally,  Jesus  said,  * '  Thou 
art  rock,  and  upon  this  rock  I  build  My 
Church." 

What  rock  I  Jesus  did  not  mean  the  man 
Peter,  but  rather  the  truth  which  the  man 
had  uttered,  namely,  that  Christ  was  the  Son 
of  God.  In  the  thought  of  Jesus  the  truth 
is  personified  and  becomes  identical  with  the 
man.  For  present  purposes  they  are  one. 
The  truth  and  the  man  are  so  much  one  that 
Jesus  can  say  to  thi^  man,  "Thou  art  truth — 
the  rock  truth — and  upon  you  I  build  My 
Church."  The  rock  truth  which  Peter  for 
the  time  being  personified  was  th«  divinity 
44 


THE  DIVINE  CONFESSION. 

of  Jesus.  That  truth  stands  as  the  founda- 
tion rock  upon  which  the  Christian  Church  is 
built.  Any  theory  that  denies  the  divinity 
of  our  Lord  is  a  blow  struck  at  the  very 
foundation  of  the  Church.  Jesus  was  say- 
ing to  Peter  in  substance,  "You  have  within 
you  the  truth  of  My  divinity.  That  truth  is 
the  foundation  rock  of  My  Church.  I  there- 
fore call  you  the  possessor  of  that  truth 
'rock,'  and  upon  that  rock  truth  I  build  My 
Church. ' ' 

Jesus  also  added,  "The  gates  of  hell  shall 
not  prevail  against  it."  This  is  the  first  re- 
corded utterance  of  Jesus  concerning  His 
Church.  In  it  He  suggests  the  permanency 
of  the  Church.  The  term  ' '  hell ' '  is  used  here 
in  the  sense  of  the  abode  of  death  and  de- 
struction rather  than  a  place  of  punishment. 
The  thought  of  Jesus,  therefore,  is  that  all 
the  combined  forces  of  death  and  destruction 
shall  not  be  sufficient  to  overthrow  His 
Church.  This  is  a  bold  assertion,  especiallj' 
since  it  was  made  in  the  face  of  a  severe  criti- 
cism and  at  a  time  when  opposition  was  vio- 
lent and  the  faith  of  the  disciples  wavering. 
But  the  testimony  of  history  has  sanctioned 
that  assertion,  and  incidentally  lent  color  to 
45 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

the  claim  of  the  Speaker  that  He  was  divine. 
Else  how  could  He  have  foreseen  the  out- 
come? 

Another  feature  of  the  reward  that  came 
from  Peter's  confession  was  the  promise  of 
Jesus  that  into  liis  hands  He  would  commit 
the  keys  of  the  Kingdom.  (Matt.  16:19.) 
The  key  was  the  badge  of  authority.  The 
authority  herein  committed  to  Peter  was 
given  not  because  of  any  human  qualifica- 
tions to  receive  it,  but  rather  because  of  the 
diviner  qualifications  in  the  presence  of  the 
Father  just  evidenced,  and  the  faith  just  ex- 
pressed. The  scope  of  the  authority  granted 
is  seen  in  the  expression,  **  Whatsoever  thou 
shalt  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven: 
and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on  earth 
shall  be  loosed  in  heaven. ' '  The  terms  bind 
and  loose  are  used  in  the  sense  of  prohibit 
and  permit.  The  meaning  is  that  whatsoever 
Peter  prohibited  or  permitted  in  the  Church 
was  to  receive  the  sanction  of  heaven.  Let 
it  not  be  presumed  that  this  clothing  A\ith 
authority  constituted  Peter  dictator  of 
heaven  so  that  whatever  he  commanded 
heaven  obeyed.  The  meaning  is  rather  that 
Peter  was  to  be  controlled  so  much  by  heaven 

4G 


THE  DIVINE  CONFESSION. 

that  his  actions  would  be  the  outgoing  of 
heaven's  dictation.  He  and  heaven  were  to 
be  in  harmony,  so  that  whatever  he  did  was 
to  be  heaven's  doing  through  him.  What- 
ever he  prohibited  or  permitted  on  earth  was 
to  be  prohibited  or  permitted  in  heaven  be- 
cause their  wills  were  one.  The  authority 
given  Peter  was  merely  that  which  consti- 
tuted him  in  harmony  mth  the  will  of  God 
and  made  him  able  to  express  that  \vill.  It 
did  not  in  any  sense  vest  him  with  arbitrary 
power  to  forgive  sin,  as  some  would  have 
us  believe.  The  main  thought,  however,  to 
be  emphasized  in  this  connection  is  that  it 
was  Peter  who  stood  as  the  first  confessor 
of  the  fundamental  doctrine  of  the  Church 
that  Christ  is  divine,  and  that  the  confession 
itself  was  such  an  important  one  that  it  drew 
from  the  Master  a  benediction  and  a  gracious 
promise  of  reward. 

One  can  hardly  study  this  incident  with- 
out being  impressed  with  the  thought  that 
a  confession  of  Christ  openly  and  frankly 
made  is  a  satisfaction  to  the  Master  Him- 
self. Jesus  was  pleased  with  this  confession 
of  Peter.  If  in  that  far-away  day  such  a 
confession  was  pleasing,  it  must  be  certainly 

47 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

80  in  this  day  when  there  is  so  much  for- 
getfulness  of  the  Master,  and  when  He  is  put 
to  a  new  shame  by  His  own  followers  and 
crucified  by  the  world  again  and  again. 
Christ  expects  His  true  followers  to  be  will- 
ing to  confess  Him  not  only  as  the  Son  of 
God,  but  as  their  personal  Savior.  The 
tendency  to  shrink  from  that  confession  is 
not  only  displeasing  to  the  Lord,  but  detri- 
mental to  the  disciple.  There  is  a  new  spear- 
thrust  for  the  Savior  in  every  spirit  akin 
to  that  possessed  by  the  Brooklyn  merchant 
who  went  to  his  pastor  to  inquire  if  Jesus 
Christ  would  be  willing  to  take  him  into  His 
concern — the  Kingdom — as  a  silent  partner. 
The  minister  said,  ''Why  do  you  ask?"  The 
merchant  replied,  "Because  I  wish  to  be  a 
member  of  His  concern,  but  do  not  want  any- 
body to  know  it."  The  good  pastor  taught 
the  right  doctrine  when  he  replied:  "Jesus 
Christ  takes  no  silent  partners.  The  firm 
must  be  Christ  &  Co.,  and  the  names  of  the 
company  must  all  be  written  out  on  the  sign- 
board. ' '  Jesus  craves  the  fellowship  of  those 
who  can  say  \nth  Peter,  "Thou  art  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,"  and  then 
add,  as  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury  used  to  add 
48 


THE  DIVINE  CONFESSION. 

ill  talking  to  his  Ragged  School  boys,  ''My 
Savior." 

It  is  implied  in  this  incident  that  the  keys 
to  the  Kingdom's  benedictions  are  received 
upon  the  grounds  of  faith  and  confession. 
Faith  born  of  the  presence  of  God  and  con- 
fession born  of  the  will  of  man  are  the  two 
hands  into  which  the  keys  of  the  Kingdom 
are  placed.  The  keys  signify  the  liberty  and 
power  of  enjoying  the  blessings  of  the  King- 
dom. Every  clerk  in  a  commercial  establish- 
ment will  remember  the  day  when  for  the  first 
time  the  proprietor  placed  in  his  hands  the 
key  to  the  establishment,  and  told  him  to 
come  and  go  as  he  pleased.  It  meant  that  all 
the  proprietor  had  was  entrusted  to  the  clerk. 
But  in  a  larger  sense  God  gives  to  His  worthy 
ones  the  keys  of  the  Kingdom.  To  those  of 
us  who  can  be  trusted  He  throws  wide  open 
the  doors.  All  He  has  is  not  merely  en- 
trusted to  us,  but  is  ours — ours  to  use  and 
enjoy.  He  bids  us  come  in  and  go  out  and 
possess  as  we  please.  A  spiritual  Croesus 
does  that  one  become  whose  faith  and  con- 
fession have  wrung  from  the  hand  of  God 
the  keys  to  the  Kingdom. 

Coleridge  and  Charles  Lamb  were  once  in 
49 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

conversation  when  the  former  said,  * '  I  think, 
Charles,  ygu  have  never  heard  me  preach." 
And  Lamb  repHed,  **My  dear  boy,  I  never 
heard  you  do  anything  else."  It  would  be 
difficult  to  pay  to  any  man  a  higher  compli- 
ment than  that.  The  very  life  a  perpetual 
sermon!  And  yet  the  life  that  is  a  daily 
sermon  is  possible  to  every  one  who  by  a  con- 
fessed faith  in  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God,  gets 
the  keys  to  the  Kingdom,  unlocks  its  treas- 
ures, and  by  the  hand  of  love  scatters  those 
treasures  through  a  needy  world. 


50 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 

Peter  manifested  a  sublime  faith  when  he 
said,  *'Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
living  God."  But  it  was  only  a  momentary 
faith.  It  had  been  preceded  by  doubts,  and 
came  to  mark  the  high  tide  of  faith.  It  was 
to  be  followed  by  an  ebb-tide.  There  was 
soon  to  be  a  lowering  of  both  faith  and  spirits 
on  the  part  of  Peter  and  some  of  liis  com- 
panions. The  evidence  of  that  waning  faith 
is  seen  in  an  incident  which  almost  imme- 
diately followed  the  confession  of  Peter. 
Jesus,  having  strengthened  the  disciples  in 
the  faith  of  His  Messiahship,  began  to  ac- 
quaint them  with  the  fact  of  His  approach- 
ing death.  Such  a  fate  was  so  inconsistent 
with  the  idea  of  His  Messiahship  as  held  by 
the  disciples  that  they  could  not  accept  His 
words.  They  chose  rather  to  believe  that  the 
Master  in  foretelling  His  passion  was  merely 
giving  expression  to  some  gloomy  thoughts 
born  in  an  hour  of  dark  moodiness.  They  be- 
51 


THE  EXALTED  FISHEEMAN. 

lieved  such  a  fate  impossible  to  their  Leader. 
So,  feeling  that  they  were  right  and  that 
Jesus  was  wrong,  Peter  took  Jesus  aside  and 
began  to  rebuke  Him  by  saying,  ''Be  it  far 
from  Thee,  Lord;  this  shall  not  be  unto 
Thee."  Peter  meant  his  words  to  be  a  con- 
solation to  the  Lord,  but  they  were  poorly 
applied.  Perhaps  we  see  here  an  effect  of 
Peter's  exaltation  a  short  time  before.  Some 
people  are  unbalanced  by  unusual  honor  or 
success.  Peter  was  subject  to  that  failing. 
He  seems  here  to  be  so  lifted  up  by  his  recent 
honor  that  he  usurps  an  unwarranted  posi- 
tion and  assumes  to  become  dictator  to  the 
Son  of  God.  In  so  exalting  himself  Peter 
overreached  the  mark.  His  exaltation  in  be- 
ing granted  the  keys  of  the  Kingdom  was 
an  honor  which  almost  unbalanced  him. 
Jesus  had  given  him  an  inch,  and  he  had 
taken  a  mile.  Jesus  had  only  offered  him 
the  keys,  and  he  assumed  proprietorship. 
There  was,  therefore,  need  for  a  puncturing 
of  his  pride  and  the  teaching  of  a  lesson  in 
humility.  Hence,  while  shortly  before  Jesus 
had  spoken  to  Peter  the  most  flattering  words 
he  had  ever  heard,  now  He  gives  him  the 
most  scathing  denunciation  he  ever  received: 


THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 

"Get  thee  behind  Me,  Satan;  thou  art  an 
offense  unto  Me:  for  thou  savorest  not  the 
things  that  be  of  God,  but  those  that  be  of 
men. ' ' 

An  hour  or  so  before  Jesus  had  called 
Peter  the  foundation  of  the  Church.  Now 
he  is  "Satan"  and  an  "offense."  An  hour 
ago  he  was  a  rock  to  build  on.  Now  he  is 
a  rock  of  offense.  The  term  "savorest"  is 
used  here  in  the  sense  of  "to  think"  or  "to 
mind. ' '  Literally,  the  Lord  is  saying, ' '  Thou 
thinkest  not  upon  the  things  that  be  of  God, 
but  the  things  that  be  of  man."  The  logic 
of  the  Lord's  declaration  is  that  the  mind 
that  is  absorbed  in  the  affairs  of  men,  while 
it  forgets  the  interests  of  God,  is  more  Sa- 
tanic than  divine. 

This  rebuke  of  Jesus  had  the  effect  of 
humbling  the  proud  spirit  of  Peter,  and  of 
making  serious  the  thought  of  the  other  dis- 
ciples. While  shortly  before  they  were  walk- 
ing the  mountain  top  of  exaltation,  now  they 
were  in  the  valley  of  humiliation.  Observe 
their  position.  They  were  in  a  strange,  soli- 
tary place  with  the  Master,  who  had  just 
given  a  stinging  rebuke.  They  had  no  future 
to  anticipate  except  one  darkened  by  the 
53 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMxiN. 

prospect  of  suffering  and  death  of  their 
Master;  no  prospect  for  themselves  except 
that  of  contempt  and  reproach  from  their 
friends  when  at  last  they  should  become  as 
scattered  sheep  mthout  a  Shepherd.  It  was 
a  discouraging  situation,  to  say  the  least. 
As  we  often  say,  however,  the  darkest  hours 
are  just  before  daybreak.  After  the  storm 
comes  the  sunshine.  So  it  was  in  the  case 
of  the  disciples  at  this  time.  Soon  their 
clouds  were  to  break  away  and  the  brightest 
sun  of  all  their  experience  was  to  shine  upon 
them  in  the  scene  of  the  transfiguration. 

We  will  study  the  event  of  the  transfigu- 
ration as  it  is  recorded  in  the  gospel  accord- 
ing to  St.  Matthew.  (Chap.  17.)  The  scene 
of  ''The  Divine  Confession"  was  near 
Caesarea  Philippi,  close  to  the  base  of  Mt. 
Hermon,  in  one  of  nature's  quietest  halls. 
The  scene  of  the  present  event  is  in  the  same 
locality,  but  on  the  mountain  side  instead  of 
at  the  base.  The  account  speaks  of  a  high 
mountain  apart  into  which  Jesus  and  the 
disciples  wont.  Mt.  Hermon  answers  to  this 
description  as  no  other  mountain  in  this  lo- 
cality. Mt.  Hermon  is  an  elevation  which 
is  more  of  a  mountain  range  than  a  single 

54 


THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 

peak.  There  are  three  distinct  peaks  pre- 
sented. Two  of  them  are  close  together  and 
in  a  Hne  running  north  and  south,  while  the 
third  lies  off  to  the  west,  separated  from  the 
two  by  a  deep  valley.  These  peaks  are  the 
tallest  in  Palestine,  rising  more  than  nine 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level.  One  fea- 
ture connected  with  Mt.  Hermon  will  make 
it  easily  remembered.  It  casts  the  most  re- 
markable shadow  to  be  seen  anywhere  in  the 
world.  When  the  evening  sun  begins  to  ap- 
proach the  horizon  in  the  west,  the  shadow 
of  the  mountain  top  begins  to  creep  slowly 
down  the  mountain  side.  It  reaches  the  base 
and  travels  across  the  plain  toward  the  east, 
w^rapping  the  city  of  Damascus  in  its  shadow 
as  it  goes.  The  shadow  moves  on  until  it 
reaches  the  eastern  horizon  and  then  creeps 
up  the  side  of  the  sky  until  the  pointed 
shadow  of  the  mountain  top  is  plainly  seen 
against  the  sky.  Over  seventy  miles  of  plain 
the  shadow  stretches  itself,  and  then  lifts  its 
head  above  the  eastern  horizon. 

It  was  evening  when  Jesus  and  His  dis- 
ciples ascended  the  slope  of  Hermon.    They 
could  doubtless  see  the  shadow  as  it  moved 
on  like  a  mighty  tide  across  the  plain.    Jesus 
55 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

could  strengthen  the  faith  of  His  disciples 
by  telling  them  that  the  Kingdom  He  came 
to  found  would  rise  higher  than  the  top  of 
old  Mt.  Hermon,  and  that  its  shadow,  like 
the  one  just  creeping  across  the  plain,  would 
move  on  and  on  until  the  whole  earth  would 
be  enfolded  within  it  and  the  point  of  the 
shadow  rise  up  to  touch  the  very  throne  of 
the  Father  in  heaven. 

With  such  scenes  before  them,  and  per- 
haps with  such  thoughts  as  these  in  their 
minds,  Jesus  and  His  disciples  move  toward 
the  mountain  top  until  the  whole  land  is 
wrapped  in  the  shadow  of  the  night  and  the 
stars  come  out  in  the  blue  sky  and  twinkle 
above  in  true  Oriental  brilliancy.  A  quiet 
spot  is  found,  and  there  the  Lord  begins  to 
pray.  Luke  tells  us  that  He  went  up  into 
the  mountain  to  pray.    This  was  His  purpose. 

After  six  days  of  gloom  following  the 
conversation  described  in  the  last  chapter, 
the  disciples  were  to  see  the  brightest  pic- 
ture of  their  lives.  They  had  been  in  the 
valley  long  enough.  Now  Christ  would  exalt 
them  and  from  the  mountain  top  give  them 
a  glimpse  of  another  world.  How  skillfully 
our  clouds  are  removed  and  our  needs  sup- 

56 


THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 

plied  by  the  wisdom  of  God!  He  never  lets 
His  children  suffer  beyond  what  they  are 
able  to  endure,  and  follows  the  dark  days 
Avith  brighter  ones.  We  all  have  our  "six 
days ;"  our  periods  of  loneliness,  sorrow,  and 
defeat.  But  we  have  the  right  to  look  to  the 
after-time  when  God  shall  more  than  atone 
for  all  the  darkness.  AVe  do  not  know  how 
long  the  ''six  days"  will  be,  but  there  is  a 
transfiguration  at  the  end.  And  if  the  trans- 
formation be  even  delayed  to  the  end  of  life 's 
journey,  it  will  come.  And  as  the  old  life  of 
darkness  slips  off  and  we  pass  into  the  light 
of  the  new  life,  we  will  know  what  Paul  meant 
when  he  said,  ''I  reckon  that  the  sufferings 
of  this  present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be 
compared  with  the  glory  that  shall  be  re- 
vealed." 

''Jesus  taketh  Peter,  James,  and  John." 
This  was  Christ's  triangle  of  friendship.  On 
three  different  occasions  He  is  recorded  as 
taking  Peter,  James,  and  John.  It  was  a  tri- 
angle of  friendship  composed  of  characters 
strikingly  different.  John  is  known  as  the 
gentle,  loving  disciple.  Peter  was  of  the 
fiery,  impulsive  nature.  James  is  considered 
as  of  the  reliable,  businesslike  tj'pe.     The 

57 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

characters  in  Christ's  triangle  of  friendship 
ranged,  therefore,  from  the  calm  to  the  tem- 
pest. This  fact  is  not  without  its  significance. 
It  is  a  hint  as  to  what  the  Church  of  Christ 
should  be.  The  Church  is  to  be  composed  of 
opposite  natures,  and  yet  all  are  to  be  blended 
into  a  harmonious  unit.  Unity  in  diversity 
is  the  characteristic  of  the  Church.  In  no 
other  institution  among  men  can  characters 
of  such  conflicting  elements  be  blended  into 
such  a  harmonious  whole.  Such  harmony  is 
possible  only  on  that  basis  which  is  peculiar 
to  the  Church,  namely,  brotherly  love.  Love 
is  the  only  tie  that  can  bind  conflicting  dif- 
ferences into  perfect  harmony. 

Having  taken  His  triangle  of  friendship 
into  the  mountain  apart,  the  account  tells 
that  Jesus  was  transfigured  before  them. 
The  meaning  of  the  term  ''transfigured"  is 
a  question  which  has  been  much  debated. 
Many  explanations  have  been  offered  from 
both  the  physical  and  spiritual  standpoints. 
Without  attempting  to  explain  all  the  mys- 
tery connected  with  this  phenomenon,  it  is 
safe  to  assume  that  in  His  communion  with 
the  Heavenly  Father,  the  spiritual  nature  of 
Jesus  was  so  intensified  that  it  manifested 

58 


THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 

itself  tlirough  the  physical  until  His  face 
was  made  to  shine  as  the  sun  and  His  gar- 
ments became  bright  and  glistening. 

The  purpose  of  such  an  exhibition  of  di- 
vine power  is  not  difficult  to  imagine.  Jesus 
Himself  was  in  need  of  strength  for  the  ap- 
proaching ordeal  of  Gethsemane  and  Cal- 
vary, and  that  inflow  of  divine  influence 
would  be  to  Him  like  the  whispering  of  a 
voice  from  another  world  encouraging  Him 
to  be  brave.  As  for  the  disciples,  w^ho  were 
soon  to  be  Shepherdless,  this  mountain  scene 
would  stand  as  a  constant  inspiration  in  their 
hours  of  trial.  There  are  times  when  the 
earth  needs  to  feel  the  touch  of  heaven  and 
hear  the  Voice  celestial.  Such  was  the  need 
in  the  present  case,  and  the  answer  came  in 
the  form  of  the  transfiguration  scene  on  the 
side  of  Mt.  Hermon. 

''There  appeared  unto  them  Moses  and 
Elias  talking  with  Him."  These  were  divine 
visitors  sent  by  divine  authority  upon  a  di- 
vine mission.  It  was  a  mission  of  helpful- 
ness. These  divine  messengers  had  long  been 
with  the  Father,  the  one  fourteen  hundred 
and  the  other  nine  hundred  years.  They 
were  well  equipped  to  carry  a  message  from 
59 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

heaven  to  earth.  It  must  have  been  an  in- 
spiration to  see  them  and  talk  with  them. 
Interesting  to  us  to-day  would  it  be  to  know 
the  substance  of  the  conversation  carried  on 
between  the  Lord  and  the  heavenly  visitors. 
Luke  has  given  us  a  hint  of  it  by  suggesting 
what  the  theme  was  in  part  at  least.  Luke 
says  they  spoke  of  "His  decease."  (Luke 
9:13.)  It  would  seem  that  these  two  mes- 
sengers were  just  the  ones  of  all  the  inhab- 
itants of  heaven  to  talk  with  Jesus  upon  that 
particular  subject.  There  was  no  one  upon 
earth  mth  whom  Jesus  could  satisfactorily 
discuss  that  subject.  He  had  just  tried  it 
with  His  disciples  mth  unpleasant  results. 
Gladly,  therefore,  would  the  Lord  welcome 
the  visitors  from  the  other  world  to  talk  ^vith 
them  of  His  decease  (literally,  "exodus"). 
The  theme  would  be  one  of  mutual  interest, 
for  the  decease  had  been  the  most  remarkable 
event  in  the  lives  of  both  Moses  and  Elias, 
as  it  was  to  be  with  Jesus.  Moses  could  tell 
Jesus  how  in  Nebo's  lonely  mountain  God's 
hand  had  rocked  him  to  sleep  in  death  and 
carried  him  to  the  eternal  home.  Elias  could 
tell  Him  how  in  that  quiet  spot  in  Gilead  the 
chariot  of  God  had  come  for  him  and  carried 

60 


THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 

him  away,  leaving  the  weeping  Elisha  to 
carry  on  his  work.  And  both  could  tell  Jesus 
how  much  more  glorious  His  decease  would 
be  than  theirs ;  how  in  the  ages  to  come  Nebo 
would  grow  more  lonely,  and  Gilead  would  be 
forgotten,  as  the  cross  of  Calvary  grew 
larger  and  larger  and  the  thought  of  hu- 
manity became  more  and  more  centered  upon 
it.  They  could  tell  Jesus  that  not  a  soul 
would  enter  the  Kingdom  by  passing  over 
Nebo  or  through  Gilead,  but  long  processions 
of  toiling  generations  coming  after  Him 
would  enter  the  Kingdom  by  passing  through 
Gethsemane  and  Calvary ;  that  in  the  ages  to 
come  the  hosts  of  heaven  would  forget  Moses 
and  Elias  as  they  prostrated  themselves  at 
the  feet  of  Christ,  confessing  Him  as  Lord 
because  He  had  made  His  exodus  by  the 
cross. 

But  as  the  conversation  proceeded,  Peter 
interrupted  it  mth  a  strange  expression, 
''Lord,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here:  if  Thou 
wilt,  let  us  make  here  three  tabernacles ;  one 
for  Thee,  one  for  Moses,  and  one  for  Elias." 
Mark  says  Peter  knew  not  what  he  said,  and 
Mark  deserves  thanks  for  the  apology.  It 
was  a  presumptuous  interruption  at  least. 
61 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Here  again  we  see  the  unreasoning,  impulsive 
nature  of  Peter.  Though  a  divine  conversa- 
tion were  in  progress,  he  must  get  into  it 
some  way.  It  was  his  childlike  disposition  to 
be  a  part  of  everything  he  saw  or  heard. 

While  Peter  knew  not  what  he  said,  his 
remark  revealed  the  uppermost  thought  of 
his  mind.  He  wanted  the  heavenly  visitors 
to  remain.  He  would  build  dwelling-places 
for  them.  More,  it  would  be  delightful  for 
him  to  live  up  there  on  the  mountain  side  in 
such  company,  far  away  from  the  sinful 
world.  Peter's  thought  was  a  forerunner  of 
the  monastic  idea  which  later  became  promi- 
nent in  the  Church.  This  incident  may  be 
said  to  mark  the  birth  of  that  monastic  idea. 
Peter  would  build  a  monastery  on  the  moun- 
tain side  and  live  in  a  heavenly  atmosphere. 
He  would  live  apart  from  the  needy  world 
and  spend  his  days  listening  to  the  words 
of  the  celestial  visitors,  Moses  and  Elias. 

But  hardly  had  Peter's  dazed  thought 
framed  itself  into  words  when  a  scathing 
rebuke  fell  from  the  skies.  It  was  the  voice 
of  God  saying,  ''This  is  My  beloved  Son; 
hear  ye  Him."  It  was  as  if  the  voice  of  God 
said:  "Peter,  you  need  not  long  to  hear  My 
62 


THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 

messengers  talking  of  heavenly  things.  You 
have  with  you  One  greater  than  Moses  or 
Elias.  You  have  My  Son.  Hear  Him.  Hear 
Him  as  He  tells  you  that  your  sphere  is  not 
on  the  mountain  side  with  heavenly  visitors, 
but  in  the  valley  among  needy  men.  Hear 
Him  as  He  tells  you  of  the  stern  duties  of 
life.  Hear  Him  as  He  sends  you  out  among 
men  to  serve  them  and,  like  Himself,  die  for 
them."  And  as  Peter  stands  wondering  at 
the  meaning  of  it  all,  a  sudden  fear  seizes 
him,  with  the  rest  of  the  witnesses,  and  they 
throw  themselves  on  the  earth,  hiding  their 
faces  against  the  cool  mountain  sod.  But 
at  the  touch  of  Jesus  their  fears  are  quieted 
and  they  rise  to  learn  that  the  strange  vis- 
itors are  gone  and  they  are  alone  in  the 
mountain  stillness.  In  silence  they  move 
down  the  mountain  side,  wondering  at  what 
they  have  seen  and  heard,  but  confident  that 
they  have  as  their  companion  the  Son  of 
God — the  link  between  earth  and  heaven. 
And  this  was  the  lesson  of  all  lessons  they 
needed  at  that  particular  time. 

The  circumstances  connected  with  this 
scene  are  suggestive  of  at  least  two  valuable 
truths : 

63 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

1.  For  every  hour  of  trial  there  is  a  voice 
of  consolation  from  a  divine  source.  These 
voices  from  heaven  came  to  Jesus  when  He 
most  needed  them.  It  was  an  hour  of  trial 
for  Him  inasmuch  as  Gethsemane  and  Cal- 
vary were  looming  up  in  the  distance,  and 
the  burden  He  was  bearing  was  becoming 
constantly  heavier.  God  will  never  permit 
His  children  to  be  tried  too  sorely,  but  witli 
the  trial  send  some  consolation.  In  every 
hour  of  discouragement  His  voice  will  whis- 
per its  message,  and  fortunate  is  that  one 
who  has  an  ear  to  hear  the  voice.  AVith 
every  trial  there  is  a  possible  transfiguration. 

2.  The  Christian  mission  is  not  to  live 
apart  from  the  world  in  pious  inactivity,  but 
rather  to  go  into  the  world  of  toil  and  suf- 
fering and  help  bear  a  brother's  burden. 
The  Christian  is  not  called  to  believe  and  to 
enjoy  merely,  but  to  serve  as  well.  One  of 
the  greatest  epitomes  of  the  life  of  Jesus  is 
that  statement  which  says  He  went  about 
doing  good.  Our  actual  doing  of  good,  as 
well  as  our  being  good,  is  pleasing  to  the 
Father.  A  great  man  once  said,  in  speaking 
of  the  unlettered  Moody  and  the  scholarly 
Canon  Liddon,  **  Moody  will  do  more  in  an 

64 


THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 

hour  than  Canon  Liddon  in  a  century. '  *  That 
was  a  noble  tribute  to  the  value  of  service. 
The  tribute  of  having  rendered  worthy  serv- 
ice is  one  every  Christian  ought  to  covet. 
The  Christian  aim  ought  to  be  to  give  much 
of  fruitful  service  to  the  world,  remember- 
ing that  the  Lord  Himself  said,  ''Herein  is 
My  Father  glorified,  that  ye  bear  much 
fruit." 


65 


CHAPTER  V. 

LESSONS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

(a)  A  Lesson  on  Giving  Offense. 
After  the  scene  of  the  transfiguration  de- 
scribed in  the  last  chapter,  Jesus  and  the 
three  disciples  slowly  descended  Mt.  Hermon, 
Jesus  instructing  the  three  that  what  they 
had  witnessed  should  be  told  to  no  man. 
It  was  probably  early  morning  when  this 
little  company  reached  the  rest  of  the  dis- 
ciples, who  had  remained  at  the  base  of  the 
mountain.  Luke  says  it  was  the  '  *  next  day. ' ' 
A  crowd  of  people  had  collected  about  the 
disciples.  When  the  people  saw  Jesus  they 
ran  to  Him  and  saluted  Him  as  a  conquering 
King.  Among  the  people  was  a  father  who 
had  brought  a  demoniac  child  to  the  dis- 
ciples to  have  him  healed.  The  disciples  had 
attempted  a  cure,  but  had  made  a  dismal 
failure.  The  father,  therefore,  brought  the 
child  to  Jesus  that  He  might  make  him  whole. 
Jesus  thrust  the  evil  spirit  from  the  child 
as  easily  as  He  would  brush  the  dust  from  a 

00 


LESSONS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

disciple's  cloak.  A  significant  thing  in  con- 
nection with  this  healing  is  the  fact  that 
Jesus  passed  directly  from  communion  to 
service ;  from  prayer  to  action.  In  the  moun- 
tain He  prayed;  at  its  base  He  served.  The 
Christian  life  is  not  one  of  communion 
merely,  but  of  action  as  well.  The  value  of 
the  communion  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  pre- 
pares the  better  for  service. 

From    the    scene    of   healing    the    child, 
Jesus  turned  to  begin  the  journey  southward 
toward   Capernaum.     The   most  prominent 
event  occurring  on  the  journey  was  a  dis- 
pute among  the  disciples  concerning  the  ques- 
tion as  to  who  should  be  greatest  in  the 
Kingdom  of  heaven.    This  spirit  of  conten- 
tion was  soundly  rebuked  by  the  Master,  who 
after  entering  into  one  of  the  Capernaum 
homes,  took  a  little  child  up  in  His  arms  and 
said  to  the  disciples,  ''Except  ye  be  converted 
and  become  as  little  children,  ye  shall  not 
enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  heaven."     The 
inference  is  that  while  they  held  the  spirit 
just  displayed  they  were  not  ready  for  ad- 
mission into  the  Kingdom  of  heaven,  much 
less  prepared  for  holding  an  exalted  position 
therein.    It  was  while  in  the  city  of  Caper- 
67 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

naum  on  this  visit  that  Jesus  taught  the  les- 
son on  giving  offense.  (Matt.  17:24-27.) 
This  lesson  we  now  notice. 

The  incident  which  furnished  the  oppor- 
tunity for  the  lesson  is  recorded  by  Matthew 
only.  That  fact  is  suggestive  inasmuch  as 
the  incident  involved  the  payment  of  tribute 
money,  which  would  be  a  matter  of  interest 
to  Matthew,  who  was  a  tax  collector.  This 
incident  concerning  the  pajnnent  of  tribute 
seems  to  have  made  a  deeper  impression  on 
him  than  on  others,  and  naturally  so. 

The  collectors  of  taxes  in  Capernaum 
came  to  Peter  and  asked  him  if  his  Master 
paid  tribute  money.  The  fact  that  the  ques- 
tion was  addressed  to  Peter  shows  the  promi- 
nence in  which  he  was  held  by  those  even 
outside  the  disciples.  He  was  recognized  as 
a  leader,  and  it  was  supposed  that  if  any  one 
could  answer  the  question  proposed,  Peter 
could. 

The  tribute  money  referred  to  in  the  ques- 
tion was  doubtless  the  annual  tax  of  a  half- 
shekel  which  was  expected  of  the  temple 
worshipers.  In  the  Revised  Version  the  ex- 
pression is  translated,  ''they  that  received 
the  half-shekel."  According  to  an  old  cus- 
68 


LESSONS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

torn  among  the  Jews,  whicli  custom  had  its 
origin  in  a  command  of  Moses,  every  piale 
Jew  above  twenty  years  of  age  was  expected 
to  pay  an  annual  tribute  of  a  half -shekel,  an 
amount  equal  to  about  thirty  cents.  This 
money  was  applied  to  the  paying  of  the  ex- 
penses of  the  temple  worship.  The  payment 
of  the  tax  was  not  obligatory,  and  yet  it  was 
honorable,  and  all  who  expected  to  stand  in 
favor  with  their  fellows  paid  it.  The  tax 
collectors  of  Capernaum  were  wondering 
what  the  attitude  of  Jesus  would  be  toward 
the  payment  of  this  tax.  Would  He  disre- 
gard the  letter  of  the  Mosaic  law?  They 
knew  how  Jesus  emphasized  the  spirit  of  the 
law  rather  than  the  letter.  "Would  He  dis- 
regard the  custom  concerning  the  tribute 
money?  In  order  to  have  their  question  an- 
swered they  came  to  Peter  and  asked  him  if 
his  Master  paid  the  temple  tax.  Peter  with- 
out hesitation  answered  in  the  affirmative. 
Some  critics  think  that  Peter  answered  thus 
hastily,  not  because  he  knew  the  facts  in  the 
case,  but  because  he  feared  the  odium  that 
might  attach  to  Jesus  if  it  became  known  that 
He  did  not  pay  the  temple  tax.  This  inter- 
pretation would,  of  course,  imply  fabrication 
69 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

on  the  part  of  Peter.  It  is  not  necessary, 
however,  to  thus  question  his  sincerity.  Let 
us  give  the  erring  man  all  the  credit  we  can. 
He  probably  knew  that  Jesus  had  formerly 
paid  the  tax,  so  when  the  question  was  asked 
he  was  ready  with  the  answer.  Peter  prob- 
ably thought  no  more  about  the  incident  until 
he  came  into  the  house  where  Jesus  was,  and 
was  surprised  by  a  question  put  by  the  Lord 
which  showed  that  Jesus  knew  of  the  con- 
versation which  had  taken  place.  The  ques- 
tion was,  "What  thinkest  thou,  Simon?  Of 
whom  do  the  kings  of  the  earth  take  custom 
or  tribute  1  of  their  own  children  or  of  stran- 
gers ? ' '  Notice  the  use  of  the  term  * '  Simon. ' ' 
It  is  no  longer  ' '  Satan, ' '  the  term  of  rebuke. 
Neither  is  it  the  prophetic  term,  * '  rock. ' '  It 
is  the  affectionate  term,  *' Simon."  Jesus 
had  a  wonderful  aptness  in  adapting  Himself 
to  conditions.  When  the  stern  rebuke  was 
needed  He  could  give  it.  Here,  when  Ho 
would  come  close  to  a  disciple's  heart  and 
teach  an  important  lesson.  He  prepares  the 
way  for  the  reception  of  the  truth  by  giving 
a  loving  address. 

Peter  answered  the  question  by  saying 
that  the  kings  of  the  earth  exact  tribute  of 
70 


LESSONS  FBOM  THE  TEACHER. 

strangers  and  not  their  own  children.  Jesus 
made  the  strange  reply,  '^Then  are  the  chil- 
dren free. ' '  The  meaning  of  Jesus  evidently 
was  that  the  Father  in  heaven  was  the  King, 
and  that  He  Himself  was  a  Child  or  Son. 
Being  a  Son,  he  was  free ;  or,  in  other  words, 
was  not  obliged  to  pay  tribute.  It  was  as  if 
the  Master  said;  ''I  am  the  Son  of  God;  the 
temple  is  My  Father's  house.  He  exacts 
tribute  of  strangers  to  pay  its  expenses,  but 
the  Son  is  freed  from  payment,  just  as  in  an 
earthly  kingdom  the  king  exacts  tribute  of 
strangers  while  the  children  are  free."  It 
looked  thus  far  as  if  Jesus  was  contradicting 
the  answer  Peter  had  given  the  tax-gatherers. 
He  was  denjdng  that  it  was  necessary  for 
Him  to  pay  tribute.  But  the  reply  of  Jesus 
was  not  yet  completed.  There  was  a  ' '  never- 
theless ' '  attached  which  explained  His  mean- 
ing. ' '  Lest  we  should  offend  them,  go  .  .  . 
and  give  unto  them  for  Me  and  thee."  By 
these  words  the  Lord  was  declaring  that  He 
was  ready  to  do  something  He  was  not 
obliged  to  do  lest  He  might  offend  a  brother. 
We  begin  to  see  the  lesson  that  Jesus  would 
teach  Peter.  It  was  the  need  of  self-denial 
in  order  to  avoid  offense.     The  lesson  was 

71 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

taught  in  a  tangible  Tvay.  Peter  was  sent 
to  the  sea  to  catch  a  fish,  in  the  mouth  of 
which  a  shekel  was  found,  and  -^^^th  it  the  tax 
of  both  Peter  and  Jesus  \vas  paid. 

The  incident  was  an  object  lesson  teach- 
ing the  truth  that  the  true  Christian  spirit 
is  one  that  limits  self  for  the  sake  of  others. 
The  Christian  is  to  be  ready  to  sacrifice  some 
natural  rights  and  privileges  that  others  be 
not  offended.  It  is  unchristian  for  a  person 
to  do  everything  he  has  a  right  to  do  if  in 
the  doing  there  is  danger  to  another  soul. 
The  force  of  this  lesson  as  applied  to  daily 
life  may  be  seen  by  stating  its  truth  in  both 
the  positive  and  negative  form. 

Positively  stated,  it  means  that  the 
Christ-spirit  does  things  that  are  not  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  the  sake  of  others.  For 
example,  we  sometimes  hear  people  say  that 
it  is  not  necessary  for  them  to  attend  re- 
ligious services,  for  they  can  live  a  Christian 
life  without  so  doing.  Now,  granting  that 
the  statement  is  true  (though  it  is  to  be  seri- 
ously questioned),  how  about  the  effect  on 
the  weaker  brother?  There  are  struggling 
souls  that  need  sadly  the  helps  of  divine  wor- 
ship, and  the  example  of  absence  on  the  part 

72 


LESSONS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

of  a  stronger  brother  m^  be  very  damaging 
to  tliem.  The  Christ-spirit  says  to  be  careful 
lest  we  offend.  This  principle  may  be  ap- 
plied likewise  to  Church  membership,  Church 
work,  the  habit  of  prayer,  giving  liberally, 
and  to  many  other  practices  of  the  religious 
life.  The  Christian  spirit  will  do  for  the  sake 
of  others  some  things  that  are  not  essential 
so  far  as  self  is  concerned. 

Negatively  stated,  this  truth  means  that 
the  Christ-spirit  refrains  from  doing  some 
things  for  the  sake  of  others,  even  though 
the  self  might  enjoy  those  things.  The  ques- 
tion  of  the  Christ-spirit  is  not  merely  what  is 
right  for  self,  but  also  what  is  safe  for  others. 
The  individual  may  have  a  right  to  do  some 
things  so  far  as  his  own  life  is  concerned 
which  he  has  no  right  to  do  so  far  as  some 
other  lives  are  concerned.  A  Christian 
should  refrain  from  doing  those  things  which 
may  be  harmful  to  others,  though  they  may 
mean  no  harm  to  himself.  The  expression 
of  Jesus  is  a  good  one  to  hold  in  mind  as 
we  measure  conduct — *'lest  we  offend." 
This  rule  applied  to  the  problem  of  question- 
able amusements,  will  settle  many  difficulties. 
The  Christian  perspective  must  be  wide 
73 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

enough  to  include  the  welfare  of  the  brother 
as  well  as  the  pleasure  of  self. 

(b)  A  Lesson  on  Forgiveness. 

While  yet  in  the  house  in  Capernaum, 
Jesus  taught  Peter  another  lesson,  this  time 
on  the  subject  of  forgiveness.  It  was  one  of 
a  series  of  lessons  illustrative  of  the  spirit 
the  true  follower  of  Jesus  Christ  should  pos- 
sess. The  lesson  on  giving  offense  had  been 
followed  by  one  on  the  need  of  possessing  the 
childlike  spirit.  Then  came  the  lesson  on 
forgiveness,  which  we  now  notice.  (Matt. 
18:15.) 

Jesus  began  the  lesson  by  saying,  *'If  thy 
brother  trespass  against  thee,  go  and  tell  him 
his  fault  between  thee  and  him  alone. ' '  This 
instruction  was  unusual.  The  rabbis  taught 
that  if  one  offended  another,  the  offending 
one  should  approach  the  offended  and  make 
the  matter  right.  This,  too,  is  the  thought 
of  the  world  to-day.  But  Jesus  went  a  step 
further.  He  taught  that  the  offended  one 
should,  if  necessary,  approach  the  offender 
for  the  sake  of  harmony.  This  was  a  broader 
spirit  than  the  average  Jew  had  been  ac- 
customed to  manifest.     It  meant  that  har- 

74 


LESSONS  FEOM  THE  TEACHER. 

mony  and  the  spirit  of  brotherly  lOve  were 
worth  more  than  that  j^ride  which  refuses 
to  sue  for  peace. 

But  Jesus  further  described  to  Peter  how 
the  offended  should  deal  with  the  offender. 
The  first  step,  as  we  have  seen,  was  that  he 
should  be  spoken  to  in  private.  Secondly, 
he  should  be  approached  in  the  presence  of 
two  or  three  witnesses.  Thirdly,  if  he  still 
be  unreconciled,  the  matter  should  be  brought 
to  the  Church.  Then,  if  he  still  refuses  to 
be  reconciled,  let  him  become  as  a  stranger. 
The  evident  meaning  of  Jesus  is  that  the 
Christian  spirit  does  everything  within  the 
bounds  of  possibility  to  preserve  peace  and 
harmony.  Nothing  can  limit  the  effort  of 
the  Christ-spirit  toward  peace  save  the  abso- 
lute refusal  of  the  offender  to  be  reconciled. 
The  inference  is,  however,  that  such  a  re- 
fusal may  sometimes  come.  When  that  time 
comes,  the  Christian  has  gone  as  far  as  he 
needs  to  go.  He  has  done  his  full  duty.  Nor 
need  he  feel  condemned  if  an  estrangement 
still  exists.  He  has  done  all,  and  is  clear. 
The  responsibility  is  with  the  other  party. 

Peter  heard  these  words  of  Jesus.  He 
pondered  them.  He  seemed  to  think  that  he 
75 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

saw  the  point  and  had  learned  the  lesson. 
He  saw  that  the  spirit  of  forgiveness  must 
bo  broader  than  he  liad  formerly  thought. 
So,  like  a  child  who  thinks  he  has  learned  a 
lesson  when  he  has  only  half  learned  it,  Peter 
approached  Jesus  and  began  to  parade  his 
supposed  learning.  You  may  have  seen  a 
child  learning  to  count  ten.  He  received  in- 
struction for  a  few  moments,  supposed  he 
had  learned  the  lesson  perfectly,  then  ran  to 
some  one  to  exhibit  the  new  knowledge,  say- 
ing, ''Listen  to  me  count  ten."  Then  he  be- 
gan, ''One,  two,  three, — "  then  stammered 
and  hesitated,  and  finally  in  sheer  despera- 
tion rushed  to  the  end  of  the  task  by  adding, 
' '  eight,  seven,  five,  ten. ' '  And  he  closed  try- 
ing to  make  himself  and  others  believe  he  had 
done  a  good  job.  In  much  that  same  way 
Peter  came  to  Jesus.  He  began  his  display 
by  saying,  "How  oft  shall  my  brother  sin 
against  me  and  I  forgive  him?"  Then  he 
attempted  to  answer  his  own  question  by 
saying,  "Till  seven  times?"  In  this  remark 
Peter  reveals  a  little  advancement  after  all. 
The  teaching  of  the  rabbis  was  that  one 
should  not  forgive  another  more  than  three 
times,  and  the  actual  practice  was  even  below 
76 


LESSONS  FROM  THE  TEAOHER. 

that  standard.  Peter  had  enlarged  liis  con- 
ception considerably,  and  thought  he  was  do- 
ing remarkably  well  to  rise  from  three  to 
seven  times.  Yet  the  fact  that  he  had  really 
learned  very  little  of  the  lesson  was  revealed 
in  the  reply  of  Jesus,  "I  say  not  .  .  . 
seven  times :  but  seventy  times  seven. ' '  How 
narrow  the  spirit  of  Peter  looked  in  com- 
parison with  that  broad'  spirit  revealed  in 
the  answer  of  Jesus!  Travelers  discover 
that  the  real  height  of  a  mountain  is  appre- 
ciated only  by  comparison.  High  mountains 
often  appear  low,  and  low  ones  high,  until  a 
comparison  with  others  is  made,  when  the 
true  height  appears.  Had  Peter  stood  en- 
tirely alone  when  he  made  his  statement  of 
*' seven  times"  he  would  have  looked  tall. 
But  when  he  was  measured  against  the  ''sev- 
enty times  seven"  of  Jesus,  he  looked  small. 
Jesus  did  not  mean  to  teach  that  one 
should  forgive  another  just  four  hundred 
and  ninety  times.  He  meant,  rather,  that 
there  should  be  no  limit  to  one's  willingness 
to  forgive,  save  the  brother's  unwillingness 
to  be  forgiven.  It  is  the  spirit  of  forgive- 
ness that  Jesus  would  emphasize.  That 
spirit  should  abound  and  be  inexhaustible. 

77 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

The  relation  of  the  spirit  of  forgiveness  to 
salvation  is  taught  by  Jesus  in  a  parable 
which  He  immediately  gives.  In  it  He  sug- 
gests that  the  spirit  of  forgiveness  is  es- 
sential to  final  salvation.  The  parable  pic- 
tures the  fate  of  a  servant  who  was  forgiven 
a  debt  of  something  like  fourteen  million 
dollars,  and  who  afterward  refused  to  for- 
give a  debt  of  some  seventeen  dollars  owed 
him  by  another.  This  contrast  in  forgiveness 
represents  the  difference  between  God's  for- 
giveness and  man 's.  Man  is  the  mcked  serv- 
ant, who,  though  forgiven  much,  refuses  to 
forgive  another.  The  fate  of  the  wicked  serv- 
ant in  the  parable  was  that  he  was  despised 
of  his  master  and  delivered  over  to  prison. 
Jesus,  in  drawing  the  moral,  says,  *'So  like- 
mse  shall  My  Heavenly  Father  do  also  unto 
you,  if  ye  from  your  hearts  forgive  not  every 
one  his  brother  their  trespasses."  The  evi- 
dent meaning  is  that  we  can  not  be  forgiven 
of  God  unless  we  have  the  spirit  of  forgive- 
ness toward  our  brothers.  This  is  a  thor- 
oughly natural  conclusion,  as  may  be  seen  by 
looking  the  case  squarely  in  the  face.  The 
forgiveness  of  God  is  not  received  by  the  one 
who  is  unforgiving,  simply  because  God  can 

78 


LESSONS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

not  forgive  such  an  one.  Unforgiveness  is 
sin.  God  can  not  forgive  sin  which  is  delib- 
erately retained.  While  sin  is  persisted  in  it 
can  not  be  forgiven.  It  is  only  when  sin  is 
forsaken  that  forgiveness  can  be  offered  of 
God.  If  we  retain  hatred  and  unforgiveness, 
we  must  stand  self-condemned  and  unfor- 
given  before  God. 

These  lessons  afford  a  glimpse  of  the 
broadness  and  beauty  of  the  Christian  spirit. 
It  is  more  than  ordinary.  It  is  peculiar. 
"We  must  as  Christians  avoid  giving  offense, 
and  if  offended,  be  the  first  to  sue  for  peace. 
We  must  be  as  humble  in  spirit  as  a  child. 
We  must  possess  an  inexhaustible  spirit  of 
forgiveness.  In  a  word,  we  are  to  have  the 
spirit  of  Jesus.  The  elements  of  the  Chris- 
tian life  reflected  outwardly  are  the  results 
of  the  Christ-spirit  enthroned  within.  The 
true  outer  life  can  not  long  exist  unless  the 
true  spirit  dwells  within.  The  thistle  can 
not  produce  the  beauty  and  fragrance  of  the 
rose  because  it  has  not  the  rose  life  dwelling 
within.  But  it  is  no  task  for  the  rose  to 
produce  the  beauty  and  fragrance,  for  it  has 
the  life  within  of  which  these  are  the  natural 
outcome.  So  the  one  who  has  not  the  spirit 
79 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN, 

of  the  Master  can  not  easily  reflect  the  Christ- 
life,  but  where  the  spirit  is  within  the  life 
comes  naturally.  It  should  be  the  aim  of 
every  Christian,  therefore,  to  reach  a  posi- 
tion where,  laying  aside  anger,  malice,  strife, 
and  all  uncleanness,  he  can  say  with  Paul 
that  sentence  which  is  the  mightiest  testi- 
mony of  the  disciple  of  Jesus,  * '  Christ  liveth 
in  me.'' 


80 


CHAPTER  VL 

LESSONS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

(c)  A  Lesson  on  Rewakd  of  Service. 
After  teaching  the  lesson  on  forgiveness  re- 
corded in  the  last  chapter,  Jesus  departed 
from  Capernaum  and  from  Galilee  to  return 
no  more  until  after  His  crucifixion  and  resur- 
rection. Li  company  with  His  disciples,  He 
began  a  slow  journey  toward  Jerusalem, 
passing  along  the  eastern  borders  of  Jordan, 
through  Perea,  and  finally  crossing  Jordan 
for  a  visit  in  Bethany,  where  He  enjoyed  the 
hospitality  of  the  home  of  Mary  and  Martha. 
The  remainder  of  the  life  of  Jesus  prior  to 
the  crucifixion  was  spent  in  the  vicinity  of 
Jerusalem ;  He  visited  the  city  several  times, 
and  several  times  withdrew  for  safety  or  se- 
clusion. It  was  during  one  of  these  seasons 
of  withdrawal  near  the  city  of  Ephraim  that 
the  lesson  on  the  reward  of  service  was 
taught.     (Matt.  19:27-30.) 

The  lesson  had  its  origin  in  the  coming 
of  the  young  ruler  to  Jesus  to  learn  the  way 
of  eternal  life.    He  had  supposed  that  the  way 

«  81 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

to  life  was  through  obedience  to  the  law,  but 
Jesus  taught  that  the  element  of  denial  or 
sacrifice  was  as  essential.  Jesus  impressed 
that  necessity  by  requiring  the  young  ruler 
to  forsake  all  and  follow  Him.  Peter  was 
near  by  and  heard  the  conversation.  As  he 
heard  Jesus  make  the  demand  to  forsake  all 
and  follow  Him,  he  thought  of  his  own  case. 
He  reasoned  that  he  had  met  that  require- 
ment; that  he  had  actually  forsaken  all  in 
order  to  follow  Jesus.  Then  a  question 
seemed  to  present  itself  to  him :  *  *  What  will 
I  get  in  return  for  all  this  sacrifice?  What 
profit  will  it  bring  me?"  Peter  possessed  a 
commercial  mind.  It  moved  in  the  circle  of 
profit  and  loss.  Often  after  a  night  of  hard 
toil  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee  in  catching  fish,  he 
had  wondered  what  the  profit  would  be. 
Now,  as  he  had  forsaken  everything  to  follow 
Jesus,  he  wondered  what  the  reward  would 
be.  With  his  characteristic  impulsiveness  he 
determined  to  find  out.  So  he  approached 
Jesus  with  the  words,  ''Behold,  we  have  for- 
saken all  and  followed  Thee;  what  shall  we 
have  therefor?"  There  are  some  who  are 
inclined  to  make  light  of  the  sacrifice  of  Peter 
as  suggested  here,  and  say  that  all  that  he 

82 


LESSONS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

gave  up  was  a  worn-out  boat  and  some  old 
fish-nets.  But  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that, 
however  little  Peter  gave  up,  it  was  all  he 
had.  He  forsook  much.  Not  only  had  he 
nets  and  boats,  but  he  had  a  home  and  a  wife 
in  Capernaum,  and  these  in  a  sense  were  left 
behind.  Peter's  home  was  as  dear  to  him  as 
any  man's.  His  wife  was  as  dear  as  any. 
His  property  was  worth  as  much  to  him  as 
the  wealth  of  others.  Peter  had  made  his 
sacrifice.  And  he  asked  his  question  in  sin- 
cerity, and  perhaps  with  the  ring  of  sadness 
in  his  voice,  as  he  thought  of  what  had  been 
left  behind.  The  denial  was  great  to  him, 
and  having,  as  he  did,  the  commercial  mind, 
it  is  not  surprising  that  he  should  have  a 
question  concerning  the  reward  and  ask  the 
Master  frankly,  ''What  shall  we  have  there- 
for!" 

The  question  indicates  something  of  the 
hope  yet  lingering  in  the  minds  of  the  dis- 
ciples, and  the  conception  they  yet  had  of  the 
Kingdom  Jesus  came  to  establish.  It  was  the 
old  idea  of  an  earthly  kingdom,  whose  prov- 
inces should  be  ruled  by  the  chosen  followers 
of  Jesus.  Peter  probably  thought  he  had 
given  up  his  boats  and  nets  for  a  royal  robe 
83 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

and  a  scepter.  That  material  gain  was  to  be 
his  compensation;  that  honor,  his  reward. 
Hence  his  question. 

The  reply  of  Jesus  reached  beyond 
Peter's  expectation.  God's  rewards  are  al- 
ways surprising  in  their  abundance.  He 
gives  beyond  what  we  expect.  So  it  was  in 
this  case.  Jesus  in  His  reply  indicated  a  two- 
fold reward  for  service.  One  was  a  special 
reward  applying  to  the  chosen  apostles  only, 
while  the  other  was  a  general  reward  apply- 
ing to  every  follower.  The  language  the 
Lord  used  was  readily  understood  by  the  dis- 
ciples, for  He  followed  the  thought  they  had 
presented  concerning  the  Kingdom.  There  is 
to  be  a  Kingdom.  There  are  to  be  thrones. 
But  the  Kingdom  will  not  be  earthly  and  the 
thrones  perishing.  The  Kingdom  is  the  eter- 
nal Kingdom,  which  shall  see  the  spiritual 
plans  of  the  Lord  consummated  and  the  spir- 
itual thrones  established.  It  is  to  be  the 
Kingdom  of  the  *' regeneration,"  the  term 
having  reference  to  the  time  of  the  new 
heaven  and  earth  wherein  dwelleth  right- 
eousness :  the  time  which  Peter  in  his  old  age 
described,  and  which  John  saw  in  his  vision. 

Jesus  implied  that  His  apostles  were  to 
84 


LESSONS  FROM  THE  TExlCHER. 

receive  a  special  reward  in  the  spiritual 
Kingdom  when  He  said,  '^Ye  shall  sit  on 
twelve  thrones  judging."  The  Lord  meant 
doubtless  that  in  the  new  order  of  things  His 
chosen  ones  were  to  occupy  important  posi- 
tions and  assist  in  the  administration  of  the 
spiritual  affairs  of  that  Kingdom.  The  ques- 
tion as  to  the  nature  of  that  work  is  left  in 
mystery,  as  is  so  much  of  the  content  of  the 
spiritual  Kingdom.  But  that  something  of 
prominence  and  spiritual  authority  awaited 
the  apostles  as  a  reward  in  the  consummated 
Kingdom  is  indicated  in  the  reply  of  Jesus 
to  Peter. 

But  the  promise  of  a  general  reward  fol- 
lowed also.  In  substance  Jesus  said  (verse 
29)  that  "every  one"  who  had  made  the  sac- 
rifice and  followed  Him  should  receive  a  re- 
ward. This  reward  is  one  that  concerns  both 
the  present  and  the  future.  In  the  present 
it  is  to  be  * 'a  hundred-fold"  income.  This  is 
another  way  of  saying  that  the  one  who  sub- 
mits his  life  fully  to  God  never  loses  any- 
thing by  the  surrender,  even  in  the  material 
way.  He  even  receives  his  reward.  The  re- 
ward may  come  in  an  increase  of  the  very 
things  he  had  to  sacrifice.  But  if  it  does 
85 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

not  come  in  that  way  it  will  come  in  another. 
It  may  be  in  part  in  the  sweet  peace  and 
bright  hope  felt  in  the  life  that  is  consciously 
right  with  God.  This  is  better  than  houses 
and  lands,  for  it  brings  a  happiness  and 
peace  they  can  not  bring.  Happiness  may 
exist  without  material  wealth.  Happiness 
and  virtue  are  better  than  riches.  Hence  we 
sometimes  hear  men  say  they  would  not  part 
with  their  religion  even  if  there  were  no  here- 
after assured  by  it.  They  say  it  because  they 
are  experiencing  somewhat  of  the  ''hundred- 
fold" now  in  the  contentment  and  righteous- 
ness which  no  man  taketh  from  them. 

This  general  reward  touches  the  future, 
however,  as  well  as  the  present.  According 
to  the  reply  of  Jesus,  those  who  pay  the  price 
of  denial  and  follow  Him  ' '  shall  inherit  ever- 
lasting life."  This  is  the  climax  of  the  re- 
ward. Ultimately  the  reward  should  be  an 
eternal  life  exempt  from  the  toil,  sorrows, 
and  disadvantages  of  the  temporal  life,  and 
crowned  with  unbroken  fellowship  with  the 
King  and  with  a  redeemed  citizenship.  If 
Peter  comprehended  what  Jesus  meant,  he 
surely  thought  that  he  had  struck  a  great 
bargain.    Yet  that  bargain  is  the  heritage  of 

86 


LESSONS  FBOM  THE  TEACHER. 

every  one  who  will  forsake  all  and  follow  the 
Christ.  The  reward  of  that  act  is  a  life  in 
the  present  worth  a  hundred-fold  more  than 
houses  and  lands,  and  in  the  world  to  come, 
life  everlasting. 

(d)  A  Lesson  on  ''The  Last  Things." 
In  this  lesson  there  i;  a  change  of  time 
and  place.  It  is  Tuesday  of  Passion  Week, 
and  the  place  is  on  the  side  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  near  Jerusalem.  Jesus  had  been  in 
the  city  all  day,  but  as  the  evening  hour  ap- 
proached He  and  His  disciples  left  the  city 
and  went  out  to  the  Mount  of  Olives  for  the 
night.  As  they  passed  from  the  temple,  the 
disciples  called  the  attention  of  Jesus  to  the 
immense  stones  of  which  the  temple  was  built. 
Jesus  replied  that  great  as  the  temple  was, 
there  should  not  be  left  one  stone  of  it  upon 
another.  It  was  probably  this  remark  which 
caused  the  disciples  to  question  Jesus  fur- 
ther, after  they  had  come  to  the  Mount. 
Peter,  James,  John,  and  Andrew  came  to 
Him  privately  and  asked  Him  concerning  the 
destruction  of  the  temple  and  the  end  of  the 
world.  The  disciples  seemed  to  connect  the 
destruction  of  the  temple  with  the  end  of  the 

87 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

world.  The  questions  to  the  Lord  were 
likely  put  by  Peter,  who  was  usually  spokes- 
man for  the  disciples.  He  was  one  of  the 
four  who  came  privately  to  the  Lord,  and  of 
the  four  was  naturally  the  leader.  The  an- 
swer of  Jesus  was  a  long  one,  fully  recorded 
in  the  twenty-fourth  and  twenty-fifth  chap- 
ters of  Matthew.  In  this  answer  Jesus 
touches  upon  both  the  destruction  of  the 
temple  and  the  end  of  the  world,  frequently 
called  ''the  last  things."  We  will  consider 
here,  however,  only  His  teaching  concerning 
the  last  things  which  are  connected  with  the 
second  coming  of  the  Lord,  or  the  end  of  the 
world.  The  teachings  of  Jesus  on  this  sub- 
ject fall  into  two  divisions,  one  dealing  with 
the  signs  preceding  the  coming,  and  the  other 
dealing  with  the  characteristics  of  the  com- 
ing itself. 

Six  distinct  signs  are  mentioned  as  pre- 
ceding the  coming.  They  may  be  stated  as 
follows : 

1.  False  Christs  shall  arise.  In  almost 
every  age  this  sign  has  been  fulfilled. 

2.  Political  strife  shall  be  common. 
There  shall  be  wars  and  rumors  of  war.  This 
sign  also  has  had  its  fulfillment. 

88 


LESSONS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

3.  Strange  physical  phenomena  shall  be 
witnessed.  There  shall  be  famines,  pesti- 
lences, and  earthquakes  in  divers  places. 
This  sign,  too,  has  been  repeatedly  fulfilled. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  all  three  of  the  fore- 
going signs  were  fulfilled  in  the  lifetime  of 
the  disciples.  The  Lord  characterized  them 
as  the  "beginning  of  sorrows,"  which  indi- 
cated that  the  end  was  not  yet.  He  then 
proceeded  to  the  further  signs: 

4.  Persecutions  shall  arise.  The  Lord 
foretold  how  the  disciples  would  be  delivered 
up  to  meet  affliction  and  be  hated  and  killed. 
We  have  only  to  recall  the  final  fate  of  the 
twelve  apostles  to  realize  how  well  this  sign 
w^as  fulfilled. 

5.  Apostasies  shall  occur.  False  proph- 
ets shall  arise,  many  shall  be  offended,  shall 
betray  and  hate  one  another.  Because  in- 
iquity shall  abound,  love  shall  wax  cold.  In 
this  age  this  prophecy  is  being  realized.  We 
are  in  the  midst  of  apostasy  variously  named. 
Criticism  of  everything  sacred  abounds.  The 
sword-point  is  turned  upon  the  inspiration 
of  the  Word,  the  genuineness  of  much  of  the 
Scriptures,  the  divinity  of  Jesus,  the  reality 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  many  other  important 

89 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

tenets  of  the  Christian  faith.  Up  to  this 
point  we  may  say  that  the  signs  named  by 
Jesus  have  all  been  fulfilled.  But  another 
remains : 

6.  The  world  shall  be  evangelized.  The 
gospel  of  the  Kingdom  shall  be  preached  in 
all  the  world.  This  is  the  only  sign  yet  to 
be  fulfilled  before  the  second  coming  of  our 
Lord,  according  to  His  own  teaching.  Upon 
it,  then,  should  be  placed  the  Christian's 
earnest  thought  and  deepest  interest.  The 
fulfillment  of  this  sign  is  committed  entirely 
to  the  hands  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus.  It 
is  for  the  sake  of  its  fulfillment  that  every 
Christian  needs  to  be  interested  in  the  spread 
of  the  gospel  in  foreign  lands.  How  soon  it 
will  be  fulfilled  will  depend  entirely  upon  the 
willingness  of  Christian  people  to  send  the 
gospel  to  every  creature. 

These  are  the  signs  preceding  the  second 
coming  of  Christ.  Having  named  them,  the 
Lord  proceeded  to  give  some  of  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  coming  itself.  The  twenty- 
fifth  chapter  of  Matthew  is  devoted  to  this 
purpose.  Therein  three  prominent  features 
are  noticed. 

1.    The  time  of  the  coming  is  uncertain. 

9a 


LESSONS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

This  truth  is  taught  in  the  parable  of  the  ten 
virgins.  None  of  the  virgins  knew  the  hour 
of  the  bridegroom's  coming,  yet  five  were 
prepared  and  five  were  unprepared.  The 
fate  of  the  two  parties  is  presented  in  the 
joy  that  awaited  the  prepared  and  the  sorrow 
that  awaited  the  unprepared.  The  teaching 
of  the  parable  is  revealed  in  the  words, 
"Watch  therefore,  for  ye  know  neither  the 
day  nor  the  hour  wherein  the  Son  of  man 
Cometh. ' '  The  thing  that  concerns  the  Chris- 
tian chiefly  is  not  the  time  or  manner  of  the 
Lord's  coming,  but  the  preparation  for  that 
coming.  The  ideal  condition  is  a  state  of 
constant  preparedness  for  that  event. 

2.  During  the  Lord's  absence  the  chief 
requirement  is  faithfulness.  This  fact  is 
presented  under  the  parable  of  the  talents. 
(Matt.  25:14-30.)  The  parable  presents 
forcefully  the  truth  that  the  measure  of  the 
disciple 's  acceptance  is  not  the  number  of  his 
talents,  but  the  way  he  uses  them;  not  his 
ability  so  much  as  his  faithfulness.  However 
different  their  talents  may  be,  God  holds  in 
equal  favor  those  who  are  equally  faithful. 

3.  There  is  to  be  a  final  judgment  based 
on  man's  conduct.     The  basis  of  this  judg- 

91 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

merit  is  presented  in  one  of  the  most  graphic 
pictures  ever  drawn  by  Jesus.  (Matt.  25: 
31-46.)  There  is  to  be  a  general  assembly 
of  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  and  a  passing 
of  judgment  upon  each  individual.  Some  are 
to  pass  into  the  darkness  and  sorrow  of 
alienation  from  God.  Others  are  to  pass  into 
the  light  and  joy  of  the  presence  of  God. 
The  passing  of  the  sentence  is  not  an  arbi- 
trary act  on  the  part  of  the  Almighty,  but 
the  inevitable  consequence  of  the  individual's 
actions.  The  basis  of  the  decree  is,  therefore, 
not  God's  decree,  but  man's  conduct.  The 
actions  of  man  toward  his  fellow-man  form 
a  large  part  of  the  basis  of  judgment.  A 
truth  emphasized  is  that  God  and  man  are 
so  closely  united  that  the  serving  or  non- 
serving  of  man  amounts  to  the  serving  or 
non-serving  of  God.  ''Inasmuch  as  ye  have 
done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  My 
brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  Me." 

It  is  taught  here  that  our  future  destiny 
is  dependent,  in  part  at  least,  upon  our  pres- 
ent relation  to  man.  We  are  our  brother's 
keeper.  We  are  to  show  our  love  for  God  by 
serving  the  children  He  has  bought  with  a 
price.  The  sincerest  gratitude  we  can  render 
92 


LESSONS  FEOM  THE  TEACHER. 

God  is  service  rendered  His  children.  The 
Father  is  pleased  with  our  prayers  of  thank- 
fulness, but  He  is  better  pleased  with  our 
deeds  of  thankfulness.  Dr.  W.  M.  Taylor, 
in  one  of  his  books,  relates  an  incident  that 
is  a  good  illustration  of  the  truth  here  sug- 
gested. More  than  a  hundred  years  ago, 
when  the  custom  was  to  convey  wheat  to  the 
mill  in  a  sack  laid  upon  the  back  of  a  horse, 
a  poor  man  in  Scotland  was  making  a  journey 
to  the  mill  with  a  heavy  sack  of  grain.  The 
path  was  rough,  and  the  horse  stumbled, 
throwing  the  sack  of  grain  to  the  ground. 
The  poor  man  was  old  and  weak  and  was 
not  able,  unassisted,  to  replace  the  sack  on 
the  horse's  back.  He  was  perplexed  and  al- 
most discouraged  when,  noticing  a  man  ap- 
proaching on  horseback,  he  determined  to 
ask  for  help.  But  when  the  horseman  ap- 
proached, he  proved  to  be  a  nobleman  who 
lived  in  a  nearby  castle,  and  the  old  man's 
heart  sank,  for  he  did  not  dare  to  ask  a  noble- 
man to  assist  him  with  his  load.  But  the 
nobleman,  seeing  the  situation,  rode  up,  dis- 
mounted, and  said, ' '  Let  me  help  you,  John. ' ' 
Together  the  men  lifted  the  sack  into  posi- 
tion, and  then  the  old  man,  taking  off  his 
93 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

broad  Kilmarnock  bonnet,  said,  "Please, 
your  lordship,  how  shall  I  ever  thank  you 
for  your  kindness?"  "Very  easily,  John," 
was  the  reply.  "Whenever  you  see  another 
man  wanting  assistance  as  you  were  just  now, 
help  him,  and  that  will  be  thanking  me." 

Well,  we  were  once  on  the  highway  strug- 
gling with  our  burden  of  condemnation  and 
guilt.  We  tried  to  lift  it.  It  was  heavy. 
We  were  discouraged.  But  we  looked  and 
behold,  a  Nobleman  from  the  skies  appeared: 
God's  only  Son.  He  stooped  and  lifted  the 
load  on  His  own  shoulders,  and  we  were  free. 
And  if  the  question  should  rise  to  our  lips, 
"Lord,  how  shall  I  ever  thank  Thee?"  the 
answer  comes,  "When  you  see  another 
mortal  struggling  in  sin  or  needing  help,  give 
him  assistance,  and  in  so  doing  you  will 
thank  Me."  This  is  what  the  Lord  meant 
when  He  said,  "Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done 
it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  My  brethren, 
ye  have  done  it  unto  Me. ' ' 


94 


CHAPTER  VII. 
IN  THE  UPPER  ROOM. 

Passion-  Week  is  tlie  most  memorable  week 
in  human  history.  Its  events  deal  not  only 
with  human  life,  but  with  human  destiny. 
It  bridges  the  space  between  God  and  man 
and  makes  it  possible  for  men  to  say  that 
they  are  no  more  strangers  and  foreigners, 
but  fellow-citizens  with  the  saints  and  of  the 
household  of  God. 

The  most  memorable  night  of  Passion 
Week  was  Thursday  night,  the  night  of  de- 
nial. That  night  is  the  world 's  sacred  night. 
We  followed  Jesus  in  our  thought  as  He 
walked  the  wave  \vdth  no  higher  feeling  per- 
haps than  that  of  astonishment  at  His  utter 
disregard  for  the  laws  of  nature.  We  looked 
upon  that  quartet  on  the  Mount  of  Trans- 
figuration, surrounded  with  divine  glory, 
with  feelings  of  amazement  doubtless  be- 
cause of  those  supernatural  manifestations. 
But  we  can  not  enter  into  a  study  of  the 
events  of  that  dark,  sad  Thursday  night  of 
95 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Passion  Week  without  feelings  of  holy  awe. 
As  we  cross  the  threshold  of  that  night  and 
have  its  scenes  flashed  before  our  minds,  a 
voice  seems  to  whisper  to  us,  "Put  off  thy 
shoes  from  off  thy  feet,  for  the  place  whereon 
thou  standest  is  holy  ground."  It  is  the 
night  in  which  we  see  the  Lord  deliberately 
planning  to  pour  out  His  life-blood  for  men, 
meanwhile  spending  His  last  moments  in 
speaking  wise  words  and  doing  kind  deeds 
in  behalf  of  those  who  were  soon  to  repay 
Him  in  treachery  and  desertion.  There  are 
several  events  in  that  night  which  provide 
interesting  subjects  for  study.  We  are  con- 
cerned here  only  with  those  scenes  in  which 
Peter  figured  prominently.  In  this  chapter 
and  those  immediately  following,  these  scenes 
mil  be  noticed.  We  turn  our  attention  now 
to  the  scene  in  the  "Upper  Room." 

The  lesson  on  * '  the  last  things ' '  had  been 
taught  on  Tuesday  of  Passion  Week,  as 
Jesus  and  His  disciples  w^ere  on  the  side  of 
Mt.  Olivet.  The  following  day,  Wednesday, 
is  known  as  the  day  of  quiet  or  retirement. 
Jesus  is  thought  to  have  spent  this  day  in 
the  village  of  Bethany,  wdiere  He  was  sur- 
rounded by  His  friends  and  where  He  could 
96 


IN  THE  UPPER  ROOM. 

by  prayer  and  meditation  strengthen  Him- 
self for  the  ordeal  which  He  was  about  to 
face  in  Gethsemane  and  on  Calvary.  On  the 
following  day,  Thursday,  the  day  for  eating 
the  Passover,  He  sent  two  of  His  disciples 
into  the  city  to  make  ready  the  feast.  The 
two  were  Peter  and  John.  The  prominence 
in  which  the  Lord  yet  held  Peter  should  be 
noticed.  He  is  the  first  selection  from  among 
the  disciples  to  prepare  the  Passover  feast. 
The  preparation  consisted  of  two  distinct 
steps :  First,  selecting  a  place  for  the  meal. 
Second,  arranging  the  necessary  provisions 
for  the  meal. 

The  place  for  holding  the  Passover  was 
indicated  by  Jesus.  He  instructed  Peter  and 
John  that  they  would  be  led  to  the  proper 
place  by  a  man  whom  they  would  find  carry- 
ing a  pitcher  of  water.  When  it  is  remem- 
bered that  it  was  the  custom  for  the  women 
and  not  the  men  to  carry  the  water,  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  sign  indicated  by  Jesus  was 
one  easily  distinguished.  A  man  carrjdng 
water  was  an  unusual  sight.  The  two  dis- 
ciples, upon  entering  the  city,  found  the  man 
indicated  and,  following  him  to  his  home, 
made  request  for  a  room  in  which  to  hold 

'  97 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

the  feast.  It  may  be  of  interest  here  to  ask 
concerning  the  identity  of  this  man.  There 
is  good  reason  to  suppose  that  he  was  a  dis- 
ciple of  Jesus  because  of  the  kindly  way  in 
which  he  granted  the  request  made  by  the 
disciples.  They  asked  merely  for  a  room, 
but  this  man  gave  them  not  only  a  room,  but 
the  best  room  in  the  house.  The  original 
Greek  word  used  shows  that  the  disciples 
asked  for  a  humble  place,  the  word  **ka- 
talma'"'  being  used.  The  room  in  which 
Jesus  was  born  is  described  as  '^katalma." 
It  was  a  humble  place.  Jesus  sought  nothing 
better  as  a  place  for  eating  the  feast  of  the 
Passover.  But  this  man  gave,  not  a  ''ka- 
talma,"  but  a  large  upper  room,  considered 
the  best  room  in  the  house.  This  fact  indi- 
cates that  the  man  was  a  friend  of  Jesus. 
Tradition  says  that  he  was  the  father  of 
John  Mark.  If  this  be  true,  the  Master  spent 
this  last  night  before  the  crucifixion  with 
friends  near.  The  room  granted,  known  as 
the  Upper  Eoom,  occupied  the  uppermost 
part  of  the  house  and  was  usually  reached 
by  an  outside  stairway.  This  fact  would 
make  it  possible  for  the  Lord  and  His  dis- 
ciples to  enter  and  possess  the  room  with- 

98 


IN  THE  UPPER  ROOM. 

out  disturbing  any  one  lOr  being  disturbed. 
The  room  was  "furnished,'*  as  the  account 
says,  which  means  that  it  contained  a  table 
for  the  supper  and  the  couches  to  be  arranged 
around  it  in  Oriental  style. 

Here  the  disciples  prepared  the  Passover. 
The  lamb  necessary  for  the  feast  was  pre- 
pared with  the  usual  ceremonies,  doubtless 
being  slain  at  the  temple  between  the  hours 
of  three  and  six  in  the  afternoon,  as  was  the 
Jewish  custom.  In  the  preparation  it  was 
necessary  that  the  lamb  be  roasted  on  a 
pomegranate  spit  in  such  a  way  that  its  flesh 
at  no  time  came  in  contact  with  the  oven. 
In  addition  to  the  lamb,  it  was  necessary 
to  prepare  the  wine,  the  unleavened  bread, 
the  bitter  herbs,  and  the  festive  lamps. 

Before  the  evening  hour  had  arrived  the 
preparations  were  completed,  and  Peter  and 
John  went  forth  to  meet  Jesus  and  the  other 
disciples  as  they  came  from  Olive's  slope  to 
eat  the  Passover.  Doubtless  all  the  little 
company  cleansed  themselves  at  the  public 
bath,  as  was  the  custom,  and  then  at  the  ap- 
pointed hour  proceeded  to  the  Upper  Room. 
The  company  may  be  looked  upon  as  a  family 
of  which  Jesus  is  the  Head.  According  to 
99 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

custom,  at  least  ten  persons  are  necessary 
to  constitute  a  family  for  eating  the  Pass- 
over. The  family  of  Jesus  was,  therefore, 
full  size.  Soon  after  entering  the  room  the 
threefold  blast  of  the  silver  trumpet  at  the 
temple  rang  out,  announcing  that  the  feast 
was  on.  Jesus  and  The  Twelve  reclined  at 
the  table,  and  the  feast  began. 

The  positions  which  the  disciples  occupied 
at  the  table  furnish  a  subject  of  interest,  and 
help  in  remembering  the  scene.  An  order 
of  arrangement  that  meets  all  the  details  of 
the  gospel  accounts  is  suggested  by  Eder- 
sheira,  who,  being  a  Jewish  convert  to  Chris- 
tianity, was  thoroughly  familiar  mth  the 
customs  of  the  Jews,  both  modern  and  an- 
cient. He  assumes  that  Jesus  and  His  dis- 
ciples were  around  three  sides  of  a  long 
table,  forming  thus  a  figure  somewhat  in  the 
shape  of  a  horseshoe.  The  arrangement  may 
be  seen  by  studying  the  design  taken  from 
Edersheim. 

At  one  end  of  the  table  was  John,  while 
just  across  from  him  on  the  opposite  side 
was  Peter.  Next  to  John  and  on  the  same 
side  of  the  table  was  Jesus,  while  next  to  Him 
came  Judas,  the  traitor.  This  order  is  sug- 
100 


IN  THE  UPPER  ROOM. 

gested  by  certain  references  made  in  the  Gos- 
pels to  the  acts  and  conversations  occurring 
at  the  table.  It  explains  how  it  would  be 
possible  for  Jesus  to  whisper  to  John,  telling 


him  the  sign  by  which  to  detect  the  traitor. 
It  shows  how  it  was  possible  for  Jesus  to  in- 
form Judas  that  he  was  the  traitor  without 
others  hearing  His  remark.  It  shows,  too, 
how  it  was  possible  for  Peter  to  speak  to 
John  across  the  table  and  ask  who  the  traitor 
101 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

was.  Thus  placed  at  the  table,  the  feast 
began. 

It  seems  that  at  the  very  beginning  of  the 
feast  a  contention  arose  as  to  the  privilege 
of  occupying  the  seat  of  highest  honor  next 
to  Jesus.  It  seems  sad  that  the  Last  Supper 
should  be  marred  by  the  presence  of  strife, 
yet  such  was  the  case.  We  may  imagine  from 
past  actions  that  Peter  would  be  prominent 
in  this  contention,  and  it  is  likely  that  he 
secured  a  position  next  to  the  Lord.  Then 
came  the  rebuke  from  Jesus,  in  which  He 
taught  that  humility  was  more  beautiful  than 
strife,  and  that  he  who  would  be  the  greatest 
must  be  the  humblest.  It  would  be  like  Peter, 
too,  as  he  realized  the  force  of  this  lesson, 
to  rush  from  the  head  of  the  table  down  to 
the  foot  in  evidence  of  his  humility.  At  any 
rate,  it  seems  evident  that  he  occupied  a  posi- 
tion at  the  foot  of  the  table  opposite  John, 
as  suggested  above. 

It  was  because  of  this  strife  that  Jesus 
warned  and  tested  Peter,  telling  him  that  on 
that  night  Satan  would  sift  him  as  wheat. 
Peter,  ^\dth  his  usual  self-confidence,  in- 
formed the  Lord  that  he  was  ready  to  go 
with  Him  to  prison  or  even  unto  death.  It 
102 


% 


IN  THE  UPPER  ROOM. 

was  in  answer  to  this  assumption  on  the  part 
of  Peter  that  Jesus  foretold  to  him  that  on 
that  very  night  he  was  to  deny  Him  thrice. 
The  supper  proceeded.  There  are  a  few 
features  connected  with  it  which  should  be 
noticed.  The  disciples  doubtless  reclined  at 
the  table,  instead  of  being  seated  as  is  the 
custom  to-day.  The  Jewish  law  directed  that 
persons  in  eating  the  Passover  recline  on 
pillows  laid  around  a  low  table,  the  head 
resting  on  the  left  hand  so  that  the  right 
might  be  free.  Imagine  the  disciples  thus 
located.  The  first  act  in  the  Pascal  Supper 
was  the  blessing  of  the  first  cup  by  the  head 
of  the  table.  This  Jesus  did,  and  afterward 
took  bread  and  passed  it  to  the  disciples. 
This  part  of  the  ceremony  was  usually  fol- 
lowed by  the  head  of  the  table  rising  and 
washing  his  hands.  Jesus  rose  to  this  office, 
but  instead  of  following  the  usual  custom, 
brought  in  a  new  ceremony.  It  v/as  the  wash- 
ing of  the  feet  of  the  disciples — an  object 
lesson  in  humility,  made  the  more  needful  by 
the  dispute  which  had  just  arisen.  Jesus  rose 
from  the  table,  laid  aside  His  upper  gar- 
ment, girded  Himself  with  a  towel,  poured 
water  into  a  basin,  and  prepared  to  do  the 
103 


.y 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

work  of  the  meanest  slave,  namely,  washing 
the  feet  of  those  at  the  table.  Thus  girded. 
He  came  to  Simon  Peter  and  began  the 
menial  work.  Since  Peter  occupied  the  end 
of  the  table,  it  was  natural  for  Jesus  to  come 
to  him  first.  The  part  of  the  table  project- 
ing beyond  the  couches,  as  shoTNTi  in  the  dia- 
gram, would  be  used  for  the  basins,  water 
and  extra  vessels.  To  this  point  Jesus  would 
have  to  proceed  in  preparing  Himself  for  the 
service  contemplated.  From  this  point  it  was 
natural  that  He  should  turn  to  the  place  occu- 
pied by  Peter,  it  being  immediately  at  hand. 
As  Jesus  approached  Peter,  the  latter  was 
amazed  at  the  act  and  surprise  leaped  from 
his  lips  in  the  words, '  *  Lord,  dost  Thou  wash 
my  feet?"  The  arrangement  of  the  words  in 
the  original  reveals  more  clearly  the  surprise 
and  embarrassment  of  Peter.  The  original 
has  it,  "Lord — Thou — of  me — washest  the 
feet!"  It  is  an  exclamation  of  surprise  with 
the  emphasis  thrown  on  the  contrast  between 
the  One  to  do  the  washing  and  the  one  to  be 
washed ;  between  Jesus  the  Master  and  Peter 
the  servant.  There  was  something  so  gro- 
tesque in  the  thought  of  the  Master  becoming 
servant  to  the  servant  that  Peter's  impulsive 
104 


IN  THE  UPPER  ROOM. 

nature  rose  in  protest,  and  he  declared, 
*'Thou  shalt  never  wash  my  feet."  Peter 
e\idently  thought  it  would  be  more  appro- 
priate for  liim  to  wash  the  feet  of  Jesus  than 
for  the  reverse  to  be  permitted.  The  spirit  of 
Peter's  protest  must,  therefore,  be  admired, 
while  his  utter  inability  to  comprehend  the 
meaning  of  the  Lord's  act  must  be  regretted. 
But  Jesus  brought  Peter  to  his  senses  by 
saying,  ''If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou  hast  no 
part  with  Me. ' '  Peter  immediately  reversed 
his  attitude,  as  his  wont  was.  He  saw  that 
refusal  would  mean  separation  from  the 
Master,  while  submission  meant  continued 
fellowship.  He  therefore  swung  from  one 
extreme  to  the  other.  If  washing  meant  to 
have  a  part  with  Jesus,  he  would  have  not 
only  his  feet  washed,  but  his  hands  and  his 
head.  Hence  he  replied  to  Jesus,  ''Lord,  not 
my  feet  only,  but  also  my  hands  and  my 
head."  But  Jesus  informed  him  that  such 
an  extreme  act  was  unnecessary,  and  pro- 
ceeded with  the  solemn  and  sacred  task  of 
washing  the  disciples'  feet,  and  wiping  them 
with  the  towel.  This  was  an  act  indicative 
of  humility  and  service  on  the  part  of  Jesus, 
and  it  has  its  lessons  of  importance. 
105 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERIVIAN. 

The  meaning  of  the  act  is  twofold.  In 
the  first  place,  the  washing  was  typical  of 
cleansing  from  sin  through  the  work  of 
Jesus.  This  thought  was  expressed  in  the 
words  of  Jesus  to  Peter,  "  If  I  wash  thee  not, 
thou  hast  no  part  with  Me."  No  one  can  be 
a  partaker  of  the  Kingdom  save  by  the  wash- 
ing of  Jesus.  He  was  going  from  that  Upper 
Room  to  shed  His  blood  that  by  it  men  might 
be  washed  from  sin.  Unless  He  shed  that 
blood  there  could  be  no  remission  of  sin. 
Except  a  man  be  purged  through  the  shed 
blood  he  has  no  part  with  Christ. 
"^  In  the  second  place,  the  act  was  tj^ical 
of  Christian  service  in  its  essential  spirit. 
Jesus  said,  "I  have  given  you  an  example 
that  ye  should  do  as  I  have  done  unto  you. ' ' 
The  meaning  is  not  that  men  should  literally 
wash  the  feet  of  one  another,  but  that  they 
should  have  the  spirit  of  humility  and  serv- 
ice which  was  exhibited  by  Jesus  when  He 
washed  the  disciples '  feet.  The  example  was 
in  the  spirit,  not  in  the  act.  As  Jesus  humbly 
served,  so  men  should  do,  for  the  servant 
is  not  greater  than  the  Lord.  The  spirit  of 
humble  service  is  the  essential  thing.  What 
a  benediction  to  the  Church  it  would  be  if  we 

106 


IN  THE  UPPER  ROOM. 

really  possessed  that  spirit !  Did  we  have  it 
there  would  be  no  strife  or  contention.  These 
arise  from  our  desires  to  be  masters  rather 
than  servants.  Did  we  have  it  there  would 
be  less  distress  outside  the  Church.  Society 
is  not  founded  on  the  principle  of  service  to 
others.  It  is,  rather,  the  principle  of  others 
serving  us.  Men  are  inclined  to  make  serv- 
ants of  others,  rather  than  become  servants 
to  others.  Men  are  willing  to  make  foot- 
bridges of  others  over  which  they  may  walk 
to  some  coveted  goal.  When  society  reverses 
the  present  order  and  begins  to  act  on  the 
principle  of  service  to  others,  there  will  be 
less  of  inequality,  injustice,  oppression,  and 
distress. 

This  act  of  service  in  the  Upper  Room 
being  completed,  the  supper  was  soon  ended. 
Before  the  little  company  left  that  room  at 
about  the  midnight  hour,  other  lessons  had 
been  taught  and  words  spoken  which  have 
been  a  benediction  to  every  age.  Among 
these  may  be  mentioned  the  following : 

1.  The  comforting  deliverance  of  Jesus 
recorded  in  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  St. 
John.  It  may  be  called  Christ's  dying  mes- 
sage to  the  world,  and  has  brought  unmeas- 

107 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

ured  comfort  to  troubled  hearts  in  all  con- 
ditions of  need. 

2.  The  lesson  on  the  necessity  of  abiding 
in  Christ,  taught  in  the  fifteenth  chapter  of 
St.  John. 

3.  The  memorable  prayer  of  Jesus  for 
His  disciples,  recorded  in  the  seventeenth 
chapter  of  St.  John.  This  prayer  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  uttered  in  the  Upper 
Room. 

4.  These  lessons,  with  all  the  comfort  and 
instruction  they  contain,  come  to  us  as  our 
heritage  from  that  sad  night  of  long  ago. 
No  time  was  lost  that  night.  Every  moment 
was  well  improved.  If  there  can  be  found 
anywhere  an  illustration  of  the  truth  that 
out  of  the  fullness  of  the  heart  the  mouth 
speaketh,  it  was  here.  The  heart  of  Jesus 
was  full.  He  was  facing  death.  Like  a  dying 
father  who  calls  his  sons  around  his  bed  to 
give  them  farewell  instructions,  Jesus  called 
His  disciples  into  that  room  and  talked  with 
and  prayed  with  them.  Every  passing  mo- 
ment was  filled  with  some  word  or  act.  But 
at  last  the  end  came.  The  moment  for  de- 
parture arrived.  Mark  tells  us  that  ''when 
they  had  sung  an  hymn,  they  went  out  into 

108 


IN  THE  UPPER  ROOM. 

the  Mount  of  Olives."  It  was  a  going  out 
into  darkness,  into  betrayal,  denial,  agony, 
and  death.  One  of  England's  greatest 
preachers,  commenting  on  this  scene,  says: 
''There  never  was  such  a  going  out  before; 
there  never  will  be  such  a  going  out  again. 
Let  us  be  very  quiet  just  now:  the  Master 
has  gone  out — He  is  on  His  way  to  Geth- 
semane ! 

*'To  Gethsemane!" 


109 


CHAPTER  VIIL 
IN   GETHSEMANE. 

In  describing  the  scene  in  that  Upper  Room 
in  Jerusalem,  both  Matthew  and  Mark  con- 
chide  by  saying,  ''And  when  they  had  sung 
a  hymn,  they  went  out  into  the  Mount  of 
Olives."  Imagine  the  little  company  leav- 
ing the  room  and  passing  out  into  the  streets 
of  Jerusalem.  If  we  ask  the  position  occu- 
pied by  Peter  as  the  company  walked  through 
the  streets,  a  satisfactory  answer  will  be 
found  in  assuming  that  he  walked  either  at 
the  Master's  side,  or  followed  close  behind 
Him  like  a  child.  In  fact,  the  conversation 
indulged  in  on  the  way  to  Gethsemane  would 
seem  to  indicate  that  Peter  and  Jesus  walked 
side  by  side.  Peter  was  clearly  close  to 
Jesus,  for  when  the  latter  talked,  Peter  heard 
and  was  the  first  to  answer.  It  would  be  in 
keeping  with  suggestions  elsewhere  made  to 
imagine  that  Peter  walked  on  one  side  of 
Jesus  and  John  on  the  other.  The  two  who 
110 


IN  GETHSEMANE. 

had  prepared  the  feast  for  the  Lord  in  the 
Upper  Room  would  have  a  right  to  lead  the 
way  with  Him  to  Gethsemane. 

It  must  have  been  near  midnight  when 
Jesus  and  His  disciples  walked  through  the 
streets  of  the  city,  yet  those  streets  were 
doubtless  filled  with  people  who  were  pre- 
paring to  go  up  to  the  temple,  whose  gates 
were  opened  at  midnight.  Passing  through 
the  city,  Jesus  and  His  little  company  left 
the  city  by  the  eastern  gate,  north  of  the 
temple,  and  crossed  the  brook  called  Kidron. 
It  was  perhaps  close  to  the  brook  that  the 
conversation  occurred  to  which  reference  has 
already  been  made.  The  conversation  is  so 
important  that  it  should  be  noticed  in  pass- 
ing. Jesus  said  to  the  disciples,  ''All  ye 
shall  be  offended  because  of  Me  this  night. ' ' 
There  was  a  sweeping  accusation  in  that 
statement.  Not  only  were  Judas  and  Peter 
to  prove  unfaithful,  but  all  the  disciples  were 
to  become  offended.  How  well  this  prophecy 
was  carried  out  may  be  seen  in  the  fact  that 
before  that  night  passed  ''they  all  forsook 
Him  and  fled."  The  word  "offended"  as 
used  here  by  Jesus  means  literally  to  stum- 
ble. All  were  to  stumble  or  fall  in  their  faith 
111 


•      THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

and  devotion  to  Jesus  that  night,  because  of 
what  should  befall  Him. 

Peter  heard  the  statement  of  Jesus  and, 
as  usual,  took  exception  to  it.  He  did  not 
know  that  Jesus  knew  him  better  than  he 
knew  himself.  The  statement  of  the  Lord 
was  sweeping,  but  Peter  did  not  propose  to 
be  encompassed  by  it.  Hence  he  impulsively 
declared,  ' '  Though  all  men  shall  be  offended 
because  of  Thee,  yet  will  I  never  be  offended. ' ' 
Then  came  from  Jesus  the  still  more  startling 
declaration,  ''In  this  night,  before  the  cock 
crow  twice,  thou  shalt  deny  Me  thrice." 
Calmly  it  was  said,  as  though  spoken  by  One 
to  whom  the  future  was  as  well  known  as 
the  present.  But  Peter  still  had  a  contempt 
for  the  suggestion,  and  replied,  ''If  I  should 
die  with  Thee,  I  will  not  deny  Thee  in  any 
wise. ' '  This  was  not  the  proud  assertion  of 
a  boastful  man.  Peter  said  it  in  sincerit)^ 
He  meant  it.  He  was  yet  all  aglow  with  the 
lessons  he  had  learned  and  the  gentle  words 
he  had  heard  in  the  Upper  Room,  and  he 
really  felt  so  attracted  to  the  Lord  that  he 
thought  he  was  willing  to  make  great  sacri- 
fices for  Him.  Peter  little  knew  his  own 
weakness  and  did  not  know  how  he  would 
112 


IN  GETHSEMANE. 

tremble  when  the  time  of  crisis  came.  Like 
the  drunkard  who  swears  honestly  that  the 
last  drop  of  liquor  has  been  tasted,  and  yet 
falls  when  the  temptation  sways  him,  Peter 
thought  he  Avas  strong  enough  to  stand,  but 
was  mistaken.  How  little  we  know  of  our  own 
weakness !  When  we  think  we  are  strong  we 
are  often  weak.  Our  weakness,  however,  like 
that  of  Peter,  is  often  in  the  fact  that  we  are 
self-centered  instead  of  God-centered.  The 
old  lesson  needs  to  be  ever  newly  learned  that 
if  one  would  be  strong,  it  must  be  in  the  Lord 
and  in  the  power  of  His  might,  and  not  in 
the  power  of  self. 

After  this  conversation  the  little  company 
proceeded  to  Gethsemane.  This  was  a  quiet 
garden  spot  on  the  slope  of  Mt.  Olivet,  and 
a  place  where  Jesus  had  often  retired  before. 
It  was  to  be  the  scene  that  night  of  the  agony 
of  the  Master. 

There  were  two  scenes  in  the  garden  in 
which  Peter  figured  prominently.  In  the 
first,  Peter  appears  as  a  sleeping  senti- 
nel. After  entering  the  garden,  Jesus  left 
eight  of  the  disciples  behind  Him,  going 
forward  a  short  distance  with  Peter,  James, 
and  John  to  pray.     These  three  men  were 

«  113 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

taken  by  Jesus  several  times  on  special 
missions.  They  were  with  Him  when  He 
raised  the  daughter  of  Jairus,  and  again 
were  with  Him  on  the  Mount  of  Trans- 
figuration. The  quartet  in  the  garden  are, 
therefore,  familiar  figures.  Jesus  doubtless 
took  these  three  with  Him  on  this  occasion 
because  He  wanted  the  consoling  presence  of 
His  nearest  friends  in  His  last  hours  before 
death.  One  approaching  rapidly  the  end  of 
life  will  naturally  cling  closely  to  his  nearest 
friends.  So  Jesus,  facing  this  dread  hour 
and  His  hastening  death,  would  have  His 
bosom  friends  near  Him.  Proceeding  with 
these  three  friends  into  the  garden,  Jesus 
opened  His  heart  to  them,  saying,  *'My  soul 
is  exceedingly  sorrowful,  even  unto  death." 
This  statement  is  at  once  a  measure  of  His 
grief  and  a  prophecy  of  its  outcome.  The 
Lord  was  exceedingly  sorrowful;  that  is, 
weighted  down  with  a  crushing  burden  of 
grief.  And  had  He  not  great  cause  for 
grief?  Judas  was  soon  to  betray  Him  with 
a  kiss.  Peter  was  soon  to  deny  Him  with  an 
oath.  The  disciples  were  soon  to  forsake 
Him  and  flee.  He  was  soon  to  experience  the 
loneliness  of  the  withdrawal  of  the  Father's 
114 


IN  GETHSEMANE. 

presence  while  He  would  be  left  standing 
alone  with  the  billows  of  death  and  hell  roll- 
ing over  Him.  He  was  soon  to  suffer  the 
agony  and  shame  of  a  death  by  crucifixion. 
Little  wonder  He  was  exceedingly  sorrowful ! 
But  He  implied  in  that  statement  that  the 
outcome  of  His  sorrow  would  be  death.  The 
last  hour  was  at  hand.  The  sorrow  was  to 
be  augmented  until  it  culminated  in  death. 
This  fact  Jesus  would  have  the  three  friends 
understand.  Understanding  it,  one  would 
naturally  expect  them  to  be  sympathetic  and 
alert.  But  not  so.  Soon  a  startling  indif- 
ference was  evidenced.  Jesus,  leaving  the 
three  together,  went  forward  a  short  distance 
to  pray  alone.  His  prayer  was  suggestive: 
**0  My  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup 
pass  from  Me.  Nevertheless,  not  My  will, 
but  Thine  be  done. ' '  In  praying  that  the  cup 
might  pass  from  Him,  Jesus  was  not  neces- 
sarily asking  that  He  might  escape  death. 
He  was  expecting  that  fate,  and  was  ready 
for  it.  But  there  were  other  elements  of 
bitterness  in  His  cup  more  dreaded  than 
death  itself.  The  treachery  of  Judas;  the 
falling  away  of  Peter;  the  scattering  of  His 
sheep;  the  temporary  triumph  of  His  ene- 
115 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

mies  over  His  cause;  these  to  a  nature  as 
sensitive  as  Christ's  would  be  painful  in  the 
extreme.  Might  not  this  cup  of  bitterness 
pass  away?  Jesus  might  naturally  hope 
that  there  would  be  a  w^ay  for  accomplishing 
the  desired  end  without  the  attendant  apos- 
tasies and  humiliations.  Yet  He  was  willing 
to  suffer  even  this  if  need  be,  hence  the 
prayer,  ''Thy  will  be  done." 

Coming  from  His  season  of  prayer  and 
hungering  for  sympathy,  Jesus  approached 
Peter,  James,  and  John  and  found  them 
asleep.  His  disappointment  was  revealed  in 
the  words  which  He  spake  to  Peter,  ''What, 
could  ye  not  watch  with  Me  one  hour!" 
Why  He  addressed  the  words  to  Peter  may 
be  seen  when  we  remember  that  it  was  he 
who  had  said,  only  a  little  while  before  this, 
that  he  was  ready  to  go  mth  the  Master 
even  to  death.  After  that  boast,  he  of  all 
the  disciples  should  have  been  watchful. 
But  even  Peter  sleeps !  A  sleeping  sentinel ! 
There  is  something  not  only  sad,  but  very 
suggestive  in  the  situation.  Here  is  a  sol- 
dier in  God's  garden  at  a  post  of  duty,  yet 
he  is  asleep.  How  oft  the  scene  is  repeated 
in  the  present  day!  Wlien  Jesus  stands  be- 
IIG 


IN  GETHSEMANE. 

fore  His  modern  followers  and  points  to  the 
fields  white  and  ready  for  the  harvest,  and 
asks  that  the  sheaves  be  gathered  in,  and 
we  fail  to  heed,  are  we  not  as  really  asleep 
as  was  Peter  in  the  garden?  If  we  go  on 
our  own  way,  seeking  our  own  selfish  pleas- 
ures while  God's  children  are  hungering  and 
His  cause  suffering,  and  the  Lord  is  saying, 
''Feed  My  sheep,"  are  we  not  asleep? 
When  in  this  land  of  ours  the  bloody  as- 
sassin Intemperance  stands  with  drawn 
sword,  letting  that  sword  fall  something  like 
twelve  times  every  hour,  and  each  time  slay- 
ing somebody's  father,  husband,  brother,  or 
son,  and  we  stir  not  to  stop  the  bloodshed, 
are  we  not  asleep  1  Christian  people  are  too 
often  asleep  to  some  of  these  needs,  and 
ought  to  be  aroused. 

Three  times  Jesus  came  from  His  pray- 
ing and  found  Peter  and  the  others  asleep. 
At  the  third  time  the  crisis  had  passed  and 
Jesus  said  to  the  sleepers,  "Sleep  on  now 
and  take  your  rest."  It  was  only  another 
way  of  saying:  *'I  do  not  need  your  watch- 
fulness now.  I  have  endured  the  agony 
alone.  The  hour  is  come  in  which  the  Son 
of  man  is  to  be  betrayed  into  the  hands  of 
117 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

sinners."  Perhaps  at  that  very  moment  the 
light  from  the  torches  in  the  hands  of  the 
approaching  mob  could  be  seen  flashing 
through  the  darkness.  The  mob  entered 
Gethsemane  led  by  the  traitor  Judas.  Jesus 
knew  that  His  hour  had  come.  So  He 
changed  His  injunction  to  the  sleepers  and 
said,  ''Rise,  let  us  be  going:  behold,  he  is  at 
hand  that  doth  betray  Me."  These  words 
of  Jesus,  together  with  the  light  and  sounds 
from  the  advancing  crowd,  aroused  the 
sleeping  sentinels,  and  they  became  alert. 
Jesus  advanced  to  meet  the  mob,  and  as  He 
did  so,  Judas  greeted  Him,  thromng  his 
arms  around  the  Master's  neck  and  kissing 
Him.  That  token  of  affection  became  the 
sign  of  treachery,  for  by  it  the  mob  recog- 
nized Jesus,  and  advanced  with  staves  and 
swords  to  lay  hands  upon  Him.  It  w^as  just 
here  that  Peter  figured  in  the  second  scene 
of  that  sad  night  in  the  garden. 

In  this  second  scene  Peter  appeared  as 
the  fighting  disciple.  The  sleeping  sentinel 
was  suddenly  transformed  and  assumed  a 
new  part.  From  the  one  extreme  of  leth- 
argy he  passed  to  the  opposite  extreme  of 
violence.  He  had  carried  with  him  from 
118 


IN  GETHSEMANE. 

the  Upper  Eoom  a  short  sword.  This  sword 
Peter  hastily  drew  and  struck  a  blow  in  de- 
fense of  the  Master.  The  blow  fell  on  the 
head  of  the  servant  of  the  high  priest  and 
the  ear  was  severed  from  the  head.  Peter 
was  now  fully  aroused.  He  remembered 
how  he  had  said  he  would  die  for  the  Master 
if  necessary.  He  remembered,  too,  with 
shame  how  he  had  slept  when  the  Master 
wanted  him  to  watch.  He  now  proposed, 
therefore,  to  atone  for  his  neglect  and  make 
good  his  word.  We  must  admire  the  motive 
of  Peter  here,  and  give  him  credit  for  pos- 
sessing something  of  the  courage  of  the  sol- 
dier. He  was  ready  for  a  fight.  He  was 
keyed  up  now  to  face  any  danger.  But  as 
usual,  his  impulsiveness  proceeded  on  mis- 
taken grounds  and  brought  him  to  embar- 
rassment. Before  Peter  had  an  opportunity 
to  strike  a  second  blow,  he  heard  the  gentle 
yet  firm  voice  of  the  Master  saying,  "Put 
up  again  the  sword  into  his  place."  Peter 
with  the  meekness  of  a  child  obeyed  in- 
stantly. While  we  must  deplore  his  inability 
to  understand  Jesus,  we  must  yet  admire 
Peter's  willingness  to  obey  Him.  Peter 
meant  well,  but  he  frequently  did  poorly. 
119 


< 


THE  EXALTED  J^ISHERMAN. 

Had  he  reversed  his  actions  that  night,  it 
would  have  been  better.  He  should  have 
been  awake  when  he  slept,  and  peaceable 
when  he  fought.  His  defense  of  Jesus 
availed  nothing.  The  quiet  submission  of 
Jesus  gave  the  mob  its  opportunity,  and 
Jesus  was  seized  and  dragged  away  like  a 
felon,  while  the  disciples,  according  to  the 
sad  record,  all  forsook  Him  and  fled.  The 
crowd  led  the  Lord  out  from  the  garden — 
out  to  the  mock  trial,  to  the  crown  of  thorns, 
to  the  cruel  cross. 

The  scenes  in  which  Peter  figured  that 
night  have  some  valuable  lessons  for  the 
Christian  student.  We  will  notice  three  of 
them  briefly.  >i' 

V  1-    Peter's    self-confidence    suggests    the 

,^  danger  of  trusting  self.  In  the  conversation 
on  the  way  to  the  garden,  Peter  evidenced 
confidence  in  his  own  loyalty.  He  felt  that 
he  was  strong  within  himself  and  that  there 
was  no  danger.  Results  showed,  however, 
that  when  he  thought  himself  the  safest  he 
was  in  the  greatest  danger.  His  danger  was 
in  trusting  his  own  strength.  Had  he  relied 
on  the  power  of  the  Master  instead  of  the 
power  of  self,  his  record  that  night  would 
120 


IN  GETHSEMANE. 

have  been  different.  Pride  goeth  before  a 
fall  in  religious  matters  as  well  as  elsewhere. 
The  one  who  boasts  of  what  he  will  do,  mean- 
while leaving  God  out  of  the  count,  is  likely 
preparing  for  a  fall.  The  Christian  should 
always  add  as  a  qualification  to  his  proud 
assertions,  ' '  If  God  wills. ' '  History  tells  us 
that  William  II  of  England  once  stood  on 
some  high  rocks  in  North  Wales  and  caught 
a  glimpse  of  the  coast  of  Ireland.  He  im- 
mediately exclaimed,  "I  will  summon  here 
all  the  ships  of  my  realm  and  with  them  make 
a  bridge  to  attack  that  country. ' '  When  this 
threat  was  reported  to  the  Prince  of  Lein- 
ster,  he  inquired,  ''Did  the  king  add  to  his 
migl  .y  threat, '  If  God  please  ? '  "  Being  told 
that  the  king  made  no  reference  to  God,  the 
prince  replied,  "That  man  puts  his  trust  in 
human,  not  in  divine  power;  I  fear  not  his 
coming. ' '  King  William  was  shot  dead  with 
an  arrow  while  hunting  in  a  forest  some  time 
later  and  never  made  his  boasted  conquest. 
It  is  always  best  to  form  a  partnership  with 
God  in  life's  endeavors.  The  Christian 
should  avoid  the  mistake  of  the  king  and 
of  Peter,  and  trust  always  in  divine  power 
rather  than  human. 

121 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

2.  Peter's  sleepiness  in  an  hour  of  need 
is  a  warning  against  allowing  ourselves  to 
be  overcome  with  worldly  cares  and  selfish 
desires  while  the  cause  of  Christ  is  left  to 
suffer.  Each  Christian  is  placed  by  divine 
appointment  at  some  post  of  duty.  That  fact 
is  certain.  God  expects  watchfulness  and 
faithfulness.  It  is  easy  to  fall  into  a  spiritual 
slumber  even  when  watchfulness  is  badly 
needed.  Some  time  ago,  at  a  railway  cross- 
ing where  he  had  served  for  years  with 
marked  faithfulness,  a  watchman  in  Indiana 
was  found  asleep  in  his  chair.  His  friends 
approached  him  in  surprise,  for  never  in 
twenty  years  had  he  slept  at  his  post  of  duty. 
But  a  closer  investigation  showed  that  his 
sleep  was  a  sleep  of  death.  He  was  dead  in 
his  chair.  His  was  a  splendid  record.  Faith- 
ful unto  death!  To  no  sleep  was  the  watch- 
man willing  to  succumb  save  the  sleep  of 
death.  A  faithfulness  like  that  should  be  the 
aim  of  every  Christian.  The  Master's  in- 
junction is  to  watch — even  unto  death. 

3.  Peter's  attempt  to  fight  suggests  that 
wisdom  should  be  used  in  our  methods  of 
serving  Jesus.  His  purpose  to  serve  Jesus 
was  right,  but  his  method  was  wrong.    The 

122 


IN  GETHSEMANE. 

method  would  have  resulted  in  more  harm 
than  good.  The  method  of  Jesus  was  always 
love.  Force  and  violence  were  aside  from 
His  spirit.  It  is  possible  to  have  the  sincere 
purpose  of  doing  the  Master  a  service  and 
yet  employ  a  method  which  would  be  dis- 
pleasing to  Him.  Methods  of  force,  of  hate 
or  revenge,  of  selfish  parade,  of  insincerity 
or  worldliness,  are  all  foreign  to  the  wish 
and  plan  of  Jesus.  We  hear  frequently  of  a 
public  dance  being  given  under  the  name  of 
a  charity  ball,  the  proceeds  to  go  for  so-called 
Christian  charity.  When  the  fact  is  recalled 
that  the  public  dance  is  responsible  for  the 
downfall  of  eighty  per  cent  of  the  fallen 
women  of  this  country,  it  can  be  seen  that 
such  a  function  given  in  the  name  of  Chris- 
tian charity  would  be  about  as  pleasing  to 
Jesus  Christ  as  would  be  the  stealing  of 
somebody's  pocketbook  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  some  missionary  money.  The  fact  is 
that  the  Church  to-day  needs  sadly  a  revival 
on  the  point  of  proper  methods  of  serving 
Jesus,  lest  the  service  be  offered  in  a  way 
which  is  a  positive  offense. 

In   the    experience    of   every   one    there 
comes  the  dark,  solemn  walk  to  some  Geth- 

123 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

scinaiie,  where  the  test  of  our  worth  and 
loyalty  is  made.  There  is  but  one  qualifica- 
tion that  can  support  us  in  the  walk  and 
cause  us  to  stand  in  the  test,  and  that  is  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Would  we  sing 
a  song  as  we  go;  would  we  stand  aright, 
watch  aright,  serve  aright,  we  must  have  that 
one  essential  qualification, — Christ  within. 


124 


CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  THREE  DENIALS. 

Matthew  closes  his  description  of  the  scene 
in  the  garden  with  the  words,  ''Then  all  the 
disciples  forsook  Him  and  fled."  It  almost 
makes  lis  indignant  to  think  that  in  the  hour 
of  His  sorest  need  all  of  the  trusted  friends 
of  Jesus  should  thus  deny  Him  and  leave 
Him  friendless,  helpless,  and  exposed  to  the  '/ 
insults  of  the  heartless  mob.  It  is  comfort- 
ing, however,  to  know  that  the  desertion  was 
of  short  duration,  at  least  as  far  as  two  of 
the  disciples  were  concerned.  Peter  and 
John  speedily  rallied  and  determined  to 
watch  the  outcome  of  the  Master's  arrest. 
Whether  these  two  disciples  were  together 
when  they  determined  to  follow  Jesus,  we 
do  not  know.  We  know  more  of  the  actions 
of  Peter  at  this  particular  time  than  of  John. 
As  the  mob  led  Jesus  back  to  the  city,  Peter 
followed,  we  are  told,  afar  off.  The  actions 
of  Peter  are  so  closely  interwoven  vnth  the 
fate  of  Jesus  that  in  following  the  career  of 
125 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

the  latter  we  best  get  an  understanding  of 
the  actions  of  Peter  in  that  fatal  ni^ht. 
Jesus  was  led  by  His  captors  back  to  the  city, 
traversing  perhaps  the  same  pathway  He  had 
trodden  with  His  disciples  only  a  short  time 
before  as  they  went  to  Gethsemane.  He 
probably  entered  the  city  by  the  same  gate 
through  which  He  went  as  He  walked  to  His 
agony. 

Entering  the  city,  Jesus  was  led  first  to 
the  home  of  Annas,  who  but  recently  had 
occupied  the  office  of  high  priest,  and  who 
because  of  that  fact  was  a  man  of  great  in- 
fluence. His  son-in-law,  Caiaphas,  was  the 
acting  high  priest.  It  may  have  been  largely 
a  matter  of  compliment  to  Annas  that  Jesus 
was  taken  to  him  first  instead  of  to  Caiaphas. 
Or,  it  may  have  been  that  the  accusers  of 
Jesus  preferred  to  have  Annas  try  and  con- 
demn Him,  inasmuch  as  he  was  a  man  of 
much  influence  with  the  Roman  authorities 
because  of  his  great  wealth  and  liberal  views. 
A  condemnation  from  him  would  be  speedily 
sanctioned  by  the  Roman  governor.  At  any 
rate,  Jesus  was  led  first  to  Annas.  We  know 
nothing  of  what  happened  there — whether 
Jesus  was  questioned  much  or  not  at  all.  We 
126 


THE  THREE  DENIALS. 

only  know  that  Annas  sent  Jesus  to  Caiaphas, 
the  high  priest,  for  trial.  The  trial  was  held 
in  the  house  or  palace  of  Caiaphas.  It  was 
there,  too,  that  the  three  denials  of  Peter 
occurred.  The  scene  here  is  so  important 
that  it  should  be  fixed  in  our  minds.  The 
palace  of  Caiaphas  was  likely  built  in  the 
usual  Oriental  style.  There  would  be  an 
outer  court  or  yard  next  to  the  street,  from 
which  a  wicket  gate  would  admit  a  person 
through  a  wall  into  an  inner  court.  Around 
three  sides  of  this  inner  court  there  would 
be  open  porches,  through  which  one  could 
pass  to  the  rooms  of  the  palace. 

It  seems  evident  that  Peter  and  John  had 
come  together  at  some  place  before  tliej'' 
reached  the  palace  of  Caiaphas,  and  likely  in 
company  came  to  the  palace.  John  was 
known  to  the  high  priest  and  the  attendants 
at  the  gate,  and  had  no  difficulty  in  being 
admitted  through  the  wicket  gate  into  the 
inner  court.  Peter,  however,  was  not  so  for- 
tunate and  was  stopped  at  the  gate  that  his 
case  might  be  investigated.  Hence  the  state- 
ment is  made  that  he  stood  without  at  the 
gate.  John  had  hurried  in  without  noticing 
the  difficulty  of  Peter,  but  when  he  observed 
127 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

that  Peter  had  failed  to  enter,  he  went  back 
and,  speaking  to  the  maid  who  kept  the  gate, 
secured  permission  for  Peter  to  be  brought 
into  the  inner  court.  The  maid  scanned  him 
closely  as  he  passed,  and  doubtless  remem- 
bered that  she  had  seen  him  at  the  temple 
in  company  with  Jesus.  Some  interpreters 
place  the  first  denial  of  that  night  here  at  the 
gate  as  Peter  entered.  They  do  so  because 
the  account  by  John  seems  at  first  glance  to 
imply  that  the  denial  occurred  here.  But  by 
noticing  more  closely,  it  will  be  seen  that 
John  does  not  really  say  that  it  was  at  the 
gate  that  the  maid  spoke  to  Peter,  but  that 
it  was  the  maid  who  kept  the  gate  who  spoke 
to  Peter.  John  does  not  indicate  the  place. 
But  the  other  three  Gospels  imply  that  Peter 
was  within  the  court  by  the  fire  when  the 
maid  approached  him.  Mark  and  Luke  both 
clearly  state  this  fact.  So  it  is  safe  to  place 
the  first  denial  at  the  fire  in  the  center  of  the 
inner  court.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the 
time  of  year  was  early  spring  and  the  nights 
were  cool,  hence  those  servants  and  attend- 
ants who  did  not  go  into  the  palace  built 
them  a  fire  in  the  court  and  sat  around  it 
warming  themselves. 

128 


THE  THREE  DENIALS. 

When  Peter  entered  he  was  probably 
chilled  in  soul  as  well  as  body,  and  almost 
trembling  with  fear  at  the  consequences 
should  it  be  discovered  that  he  was  a  friend 
of  Jesus  and  the  one  who  had  w^ounded  the 
servant  of  the  high  priest  in  the  garden.  He 
approached  the  fire  to  warm,  and  was  evi- 
dently followed  there  by  the  maid  who  kept 
the  gate.  John  meanwhile  had  gone  into  the 
palace  to  witness  the  trial  of  Jesus.  As 
Peter  sat  at  the  fire  surrounded  by  the  ene- 
mies of  Jesus,  the  maid  spoke  to  him  and 
said,  "Art  thou  not  also  one  of  this  Man's 
disciples?"  Peter  was  alarmed.  In  that 
company  a  confession  of  discipleship  would 
be  dangerous.  If  it  did  not  mean  violence 
and  bodily  hurt  to  Peter,  it  might  mean  ban- 
ishment from  the  palace.  Hence,  quickly 
and  with  a  boldness  born  of  desperation, 
Peter  replied,  ''I  am  not."  Luke  tells  us 
that  the  maid  said  to  the  other  men  at  the 
fire,  ''This  man  was  also  with  Him."  Con- 
siderable suspicion  was  thus  attached  to 
Peter.  Matthew  and  Mark  tell  us  that  fol- 
lowing this  denial  Peter  walked  out  into  the 
porch.  He  was  nervous  and  while  in  the 
light  of  the  fire  was  too  closely  watched  for 
129 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

comfort.  Hence  he  withdrew  for  a  walk 
through  the  porches  surrounding  the  palace. 
But  his  absence  from  the  company  at  the  fire 
might  excite  more  suspicion  than  his  pres- 
ence, so  he  soon  strolled  back  to  the  fire  and 
took  his  place  among  the  servants  and  of- 
ficers. But  hardly  had  he  returned  when  an- 
other maid,  or  possibly  the  same  maid,  ap- 
proached him  and  said,  ''Thou  art  also  one 
of  His  disciples."  But  Peter  denied  again, 
this  time  with  an  oath,  and  said, ' '  I  am  not. ' ' 
This  second  denial  was  probably  only  a  few 
moments  after  the  first.  Luke  tells  us  that 
something  like  an  hour  elapsed  between  the 
second  denial  and  the  third.  It  was  an  hour 
filled  with  events  so  interesting  that  we  must 
pause  and  notice  it. 

During  the  hour  the  attention  of  those  at 
the  fire  was  turned  from  Peter  to  other  ob- 
jects. Those  other  objects  were  the  members 
of  the  Sanhedrin,  who  during  the  hour  began 
to  come  into  the  court  and  to  pass  through 
it  to  the  room  in  the  palace  of  the  high  priest, 
where  the  trial  was  to  be  held.  These  mem- 
bers had  held  themselves  in  readiness  for  a 
night  call  in  order  that  they  might  try  Jesus, 
and  now  they  were  hastily  assembling.  It 
130 


THE  THREE  DENIALS. 

should  be  noted  that  this  court  which  as- 
sembled to  try  Jesus  was  not  an  entirely  legal 
court,  and  hence  the  trial  was  in  some  re- 
spects an  irregular  proceeding.  The  court 
was  self-constituted,  and  had  for  its  purpose 
the  finding  of  a  charge  against  Jesus  on  the 
strength  of  which  they  might  pass  the  death 
sentence  and  present  Him  to  Pilate  for  the 
purpose  of  having  the  sentence  executed. 

The  members  of  the  court  sat  on  cushions 
arranged  in  the  form  of  a  horseshoe,  with 
Caiaphas  at  the  central  point.  At  his  side, 
according  to  custom,  sat  the  oldest  members 
of  the  court,  at  their  sides  the  next  oldest, 
and  so  on  down  to  the  youngest.  At  each 
end  of  the  horseshoe  sat  a  scribe  writing 
down  the  proceedings.  Before  Caiaphas 
stood  Jesus,  and  back  of  Him  the  bailiffs  with 
thongs  in  their  hands.  So  far  the  assembly 
had  the  appearance  of  lawfulness.  Neverthe- 
less the  proceedings  were  irregular  and  in 
some  respects  unlawful.  According  to  Jew- 
ish law  the  accused  was  to  be  held  innocent 
until  proven  guilty.  This  court  assumed  the 
guilt  of  Jesus.  Again,  it  was  unlawful  to 
conduct  a  criminal  trial  in  the  night  time, 
and  also  unlawful  to  pronounce  a  sentence 
131 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

of  guilt  until  the  day  after  the  trial  had  oc- 
curred. These  points  were  all  violated  in  the 
case  of  Jesus.  The  violation  shows  the  des- 
perate purpose  of  His  enemies  to  convict 
Him  at  all  hazards. 

The  trial  proceeded,  and  while  it  was  in 
progress  those  around  the  fire  were  so  in- 
terested in  speculating  on  its  outcome  that 
Peter  was  forgotten  for  the  time  being.  But 
about  the  time  the  trial  closed  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Sanhedrin  were  passing  out, 
Peter  came  again  into  the  light  of  the  fire, 
and  those  who  sat  about  it  turned  to  him  for 
the  third  time.  One  of  the  sei^ants  of  the 
high  priest  who  was  related  to  the  man  whom 
Peter  had  struck  in  the  garden  said,  "Did  not 
I  see  thee  in  the  garden  with  Him?"  If 
Peter  had  been  alarmed  before,  he  was  more 
so  now,  as  he  stood  before  one  who  had  seen 
him  in  the  garden  and  had  witnessed  his  act 
of  violence.  It  would  require  a  big  lie  now, 
thought  Peter,  to  save  him.  As  men  usually 
do  when  they  have  a  weak  cause  to  defend, 
Peter  grew  boisterous.  The  account  says 
that  he  began  to  curse  and  to  swear,  de- 
claring between  his  awful  oaths  that  he  knew 
nothing  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

132 


THE  THREE  DENIALS. 

What  a  scene  that!  As  we  look  at  that 
swearing,  lying,  disloyal  man,  we  wonder  if 
this  can  be  the  same  man  who,  up  yonder  in 
the  quiet  shades  of  Mount  Hermon,  so  en- 
joyed the  companionship  of  the  heavenly 
visitors  that  he  longed  to  remain  in  their 
presence,  and  proposed  to  build  three  dwell- 
ing-places in  order  that  the  divine  companion- 
ship might  be  continuously  enjoyed.  Can 
this  be  the  same  man  who  in  the  Upper  Room 
had  prayed  that  the  Lord  might  wash  not 
his  feet  only,  but  also  his  hands  and  head? 
Can  it  be  the  same  man  who,  only  a  few  brief 
hours  ago,  swore  that  he  would  die  before 
he  would  betray  his  Master?  Yes,  it  is  the 
same  man.  And  yet  how  changed  he  is! 
How  fallen!  This  fall  of  Peter  shows  us 
how  possible  it  is  for  a  nature  which  is  capa- 
ble of  great  good  to  be  also  capable  of  great 
evil.  Those  intense,  energetic  natures  which 
are  able  to  accomplish  the  most  good  when 
rightly  guided  are  often  capable  of  accom- 
plishing the  greatest  evil  when  misguided. 
The  pendulum  that  swings  the  farthest  in  one 
direction  also  swings  the  farthest  in  the  op- 
posite direction.  Human  life  is  much  the 
same.  This  experience  of  Peter  is  at  any 
133 


THE  EX^VLTED  FISHERMAN. 

rate  a  warning  to  us.  The  standing  we  have 
to-day  is  no  guarantee  of  the  standing  we 
have  to-morrow.  We  need  to  loe  on  our  guard 
lest  we  fall. 

In  the  history  of  these  three  denials  of 
Peter  there  are  several  features  which  are 
worthy  of  special  attention  because  of  tlieir 
practical  suggestiveness.  We  will  notice 
three  of  them. 

1.  The  causes  which  led  to  Peter's  fall. 
If  we  study  that  night  of  denial  closely  we 
will  find  that  there  were  several  steps  which 
led  to  the  final  fall.  First  of  all,  there  was 
that  pxpud,  SjelfrConfidenL&pirit  of  Peter.  He 
was  so  confident  of  his  own  ability  to  stand 
that  he  could  chide  the  Master  for  suggest- 
ing the  possibility  of  a  fall  This  self-confi- 
dence blinded  Peter  to  his  own  weakness. 
Such  a  spirit  is  always  attended  with  dan- 
ger. The  life  that  is  the  most  proud  and 
self-confident  religiously  is  most  ready  for 
a  fall.  Its  strength  is  in  self  instead  of  in 
God.  On  the  other  hand,  the  life  that  hesi- 
tates to  trust  self,  but  in  the  spirit  of 
humility  exercises  mighty  faith  in  God,  is 
always  the  safest  in  the  presence  of  tempta- 
tion and  sin. 

134 


THE  THREE  DENIALS. 

Peter's  neglect  of  duty  was  another  step 
in  his  downfall.  He  slept  in  the  garden  when 
he  should  have  been  watching.  Many  a 
backslidden  disciple,  recalling  the  beginning 
of  his  decline,  can  see  that  the  downward 
start  was  in  some  neglect  of  duty.  It  was 
when  he  absented  himself  from  the  house  of 
God,  or  omitted  the  reading  of  the  Word,  or 
neglected  the  duty  of  daily  private  prayer,  or 
neglected  some  other  means  of  grace.  It  is 
safe  to  say  that  a  life  that  never  neglects 
any  known  Christian  duties  will  never  have 
the  sad  experience  of  apostasy  that  Peter 
had. 

Again,  another  step  in  Peter's  fall  was 
the  act  of  sin  in  smiting  the  servant  in  the 
garden.  It  was  an  act  contrary  to  the  will 
and  spirit  of  Jesus.  It  placed  Peter  under 
the  oppressive  consciousness  of  guilt.  Weak- 
ened by  self-confidence,  and  adding  the  evil 
of  neglect,  Peter  was  ready  to  become  an  easy 
victim  of  sin.  Sin  helped  to  unnerve  him 
until  he  was  ready  for  a  fall  into  almost  any 
abyss. 

2.  The  immediate  cause  of  each  denial. 
The  first  denial  was  caused  by  a  desire  for 
an  advantage  involving  wrong  conduct. 
135 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Peter  wanted  the  advantage  of  holding  a 
place  in  the  court  along  with  those  who  w^ere 
not  the  friends  of  Jesus.  It  was  an  advan- 
tage that  involved  the  telling  of  a  lie.  Yet 
Peter  was  mlling  to  pay  the  price.  He  de- 
sired to  hold  his  position  in  the  court  though 
he  had  to  assume  to  be  the  enemy  of  Jesus 
to  do  it.  The  desire  for  any  position  that 
involves  sin  is  a  dangerous  possession  for 
a  Christian.  Paul  understood  that  when  he 
exhorted  the  followers  of  Christ  to  covet 
only  the  best  things. 

The  second  denial  was  the  result  largely  of 
sinful  association.  Peter  placed  himself  in  as- 
sociation with  the  enemies  of  Jesus,  and  that 
companionship  had  its  effect  upon  him.  It 
caused  him  to  take  upon  liimself  for  the  time 
being  the  nature  of  those  mth  whom  he  as- 
sociated and  to  pose  as  an  enemy  of  Jesus. 
This  was  not  a  desirable  position  for  Peter 
to  occupy.  Association  always  has  its  ef- 
fect. Sinful  association  is  never  safe.  It 
is  often  the  forerunner  of  actual  sin.  For 
this  reason  one  needs  to  be  exceedingly  care- 
ful of  the  company  he  seeks  or  tolerates.  It 
is  diflScult  to  remain  clean  in  a  coal  mine. 

The  third  denial  was  prompted  by  the 
136 


THE  THREE  DENIALS. 

consciousness  of  sin  and  guilt.  Peter  was 
guilty  of  the  wrong  of  striking  off  the  ear 
of  the  servant  of  the  high  priest.  The  con- 
sciousness of  the  sin  was  vivid.  When  men- 
tion of  the  sin  was  made,  Peter  trembled. 
Sin  doth  make  cowards  of  us  all.  And  more, 
unrighted  sin  leads  to  worse  ruin.  As  the 
disease  hidden  within  the  body  will  ruin  the 
body,  so  sin  hidden  in  the  life  will  ruin  the 
life  if  not  itself  removed. 

3.  The  rapid  progress  of  sin.  The  first 
sin  of  Peter  was  merely  a  falsehood.  When 
asked  by  the  maid  if  he  was  one  of  the  dis- 
ciples, he  said  merely,  *'I  am  not."  But  the 
second  sin  was  more  than  a  falsehood.  It 
amounted  to  perjury.  Peter  not  only  denied 
that  he  was  a  disciple,  but  took  oath  to  that 
effect.  The  third  denial  was  still  worse.  In 
addition  to  the  former  offenses,  Matthew 
tells  us  that  Peter  began  to  curse  and  to 
swear.  This  denial  was  the  combining  of  a 
lie,  perjury,  and  blasphemy.  In  these  facts 
may  be  seen  the  rapid  and  awful  growth  of 
sin.  It  asks  only  for  a  foothold  in  the  life. 
That  once  granted,  it  makes  a  steady  advance 
that  can  be  checked  only  by  the  power  of  God. 

Poor  Peter!  How  sadly  fallen  and  hu- 
137 


THE  EXALTED  FISIiERMAN. 

miliated!    It  seemed  as  if  he  had  now  gone 
to  the  last  extreme. 

Who  falls  from  all  he  knows  of  earthly  bliss, 
Cares  little  into  what  abyss. 

But  Peter  did  care,  as  we  shall  see  later. 
But  at  present  we  must  leave  him  standing 
in  the  night,  his  curses  yet  falling  from  his 
lips,  the  flickering  light  of  the  fire  causing 
the  shadows  to  come  and  go  across  his  face, 
symbolic  of  the  tides  of  darkness  at  that 
moment  rolling  over  his  soul. 


138 


CHAPTER  X. 
REPENTANCE  AND  RESTORATION. 

In  the  last  chapter  we  left  Peter  standing  in 
the  sin  of  his  third  denial,  the  curses  yet  fall- 
ing from  his  lips.  That  position  was  a  rather 
undesirable  one  for  a  disciple  of  Jesus,  but 
we  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
Peter  did  not  long  remain  in  that  position. 
Peter  had  too  good  a  heart  and  too  much  love 
for  the  Master  to  remain  long  in  the  state  of 
sin.  We  soon  find  him  coming  back  to  his 
better  self.  From  the  condition  of  sin  he 
speedily  passed  to  that  of  repentance,  and 
finally  to  restoration.  There  were  two  events 
following  the  third  denial  almost  immedi- 
ately which  contributed  to  Peter's  speedy  re- 
covery. The  events  were  seemingly  very 
insignificant,  and  yet  were  of  the  highest 
importance. 

The  first  event  was  the  crowing  of  the 

cock.    To  the  others  in  the  court  the  crowing 

of  the  cock  meant  nothing  more  than  the 

heralding  of  an  approaching  day.     But  to 

139 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Peter  that  sound  was  a  night  alarm  arousing 
him  as  from  a  slumber  to  the  consciousness 
of  impending  danger.  Jesus  had  told  him 
that  before  the  crowing  of  the  cock  he  should 
deny  Him.  As  Peter,  therefore,  heard  the 
shrill  notes  of  the  fowl  sounding  out  on  the 
night  air  he  was  startled.  Like  a  man  who 
is  suddenly  awakened  from  his  dreams  to 
face  an  unexpected  danger,  Peter  was  now 
thoroughly  aroused.  He  remembered  the 
words  of  Jesus,  and  how  he  had  laughed  at 
them  and  thought  a  denial  impossible.  He 
now  saw,  however,  that  Jesus  was  right.  He 
saw,  too,  how  weak  and  how  mean  he  had 
been.  He  saw  the  need  of  his  own  nature  as 
he  had  never  seen  it  before.  He  saw  the 
awful  danger  into  which  he  was  sinking. 
Peter  saw,  and  was  now  thoroughly  awake. 
The  second  event  to  which  reference  has 
been  made  followed  immediately  after  the 
first.  While  the  echoes  of  the  cock 's  warning 
were  yet  ringing  in  his  ears,  Peter  turned 
from  the  fire  in  the  court,  before  which  the 
denials  were  made.  The  men  who  had  been 
attending  the  trial  of  Jesus  were  at  that 
moment  filing  down  from  the  court  room  and 
were  passing  through  the  open  porch  toward 

140 


REPENTANCE  AND  RESTORATION. 

the  wicket  gate.  They  were  leading  with 
them  the  Divine  Prisoner.  Submissively  the 
Captive  was  walking,  not  a  murmur  escaping 
His  lips.  He  was  being  led  as  a  lamb  to  the 
slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers 
is  dumb,  so  He  opened  not  His  mouth.  As 
Peter  turned  from  the  fire,  Jesus  was  passing 
by.  He  turned  His  eyes  toward  Peter.  Luke 
says,  ''The  Lord  turned  and  looked  upon 
Peter."  Just  one  glance  it  was,  but  a  glance 
that  had  a  world  of  meaning  hidden  in  it. 
It  was  a  piercing  glance.  It  was  a  searching 
glance.  Had  Jesus  flung  a  dart  into  the 
heart  of  Peter  it  could  not  have  hurt  him 
more.  Peter  felt  that  darts  were  more  de- 
served than  the  kind  of  a  glance  he  received. 
The  glance  reached  his  heart.  It  recalled 
again  the  prophecies  Jesus  had  made  con- 
cerning him.  It  seemed  to  flash  upon  him  the 
awfulness  of  the  denial  and  fall.  It  told 
Peter  that  the  Lord  knew  all  of  his  weakness 
and  sin.  It  showed  him,  as  by  a  searchlight, 
the  greatness  of  his  transgression.  There 
was  something  of  a  rebuke  in  the  glance,  yet 
there  was  so  much  of  tenderness  and  of  for- 
giveness that  the  heart  of  Peter  was  melted. 
That  look  from  the  Lord  plowed  the  nature 
141 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

of  Peter  to  its  depth.  It  stirred  remorse 
and  shame  within  him  until  he  could  endure 
it  no  longer  and,  as  the  account  says,  he  went 
out  into  the  darkness  and  wept  bitterly.  He 
probably  followed  Jesus  and  His  captors 
out  through  the  wicket  gate,  and  while  the 
Lord  was  led  on  to  the  judgment  hall  of 
Pilate,  Peter  stood  alone  in  the  night  and 
wept. 

Bitter  tears !  Yet  we  must  welcome  them 
and  rejoice,  for  in  them  we  find  the  first  in- 
dication of  the  fallen  man's  return  to  grace. 
Those  tears  were  the  redeeming  feature  of 
Peter's  actions  on  that  sad,  dark  night.  They 
were  the  foretokens  of  his  salvation  from  the 
sin  of  the  fall.  If  he  had  hardened  his  heart 
and  persevered  in  his  sin,  there  would  have 
been  no  salvation  for  him.  But  when  we  see 
him  in  tears  because  of  his  sin  we  know  he  is 
on  the  way  to  recovery.  Happy  the  man  who 
can  weep  because  of  his  transgression !  The 
man  who  is  heartless  and  unmoved  in  the 
midst  of  his  sin  has  little  hope  of  redemption. 
But  the  man  who  is  so  smitten  by  his  sin  that 
he  can  go  out  and  weep  bitterly  is  one  who 
by  his  very  condition  has  opened  heaven's 
gate  for  his  return.  There  is  an  old  story 
142 


REPENTANCE  AND  RESTORATION. 

of  a  candidate  for  the  Eternal  City  who  ap- 
proached the  gates  bearing  in  his  hands  gold 
and  silver  and  precious  gems.  By  these  he 
hoped  to  gain  admission  to  the  city.  He 
presented  his  treasures  in  turn,  but  each  was 
rejected  as  being  insufficient.  Other  treas- 
ures of  earthly  value  were  presented,  but 
with  like  results.  At  last  the  candidate  pre- 
sented a  tear-drop  from  the  eye  of  a  penitent 
sinner.  The  angels  of  heaven  looked  upon 
it  with  admiration.  To  them  it  seemed  as 
a  diamond  of  rarest  value  and  greatest 
beauty.  Upon  its  presentation  the  gates  of 
heaven  were  thrown  back  and  the  candidate 
given  a  glad  welcome.  The  tear  of  penitence 
is  the  key  to  heaven.  We  should  rejoice  as 
we  see  these  tears  of  penitence  in  the  eyes 
of  Peter,  for  they  were  the  agency  for  open- 
ing the  gates  of  pardon  to  the  sinning  man. 
Wherever  there  is  a  sinner  to-day  weeping 
because  of  his  transgressions,  there  is  a  can- 
didate for  pardon  and  for  the  Kingdom  of 
God.  Tears  of  penitence  are  the  pledge  of 
pardon  and  restitution. 

An  unwritten  chapter  in  the  life  of  St. 
Peter  might  be  inserted  just  here.  Those 
bitter  tears  were  shed  early  on  Friday  morn- 

143 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

ing.  From  that  time  until  an  early  hour  on 
Sunday  morning  we  have  no  account  what- 
ever of  Peter's  actions.  Two  days  of  silence ! 
Perhaps  his  sorrow  was  so  deep  and  his 
shame  so  great  that  the  sacred  writers  have 
preferred  not  to  make  a  show  of  it.  Perhaps 
Peter  retired  from  public  gaze  and  kept  the 
bitter  experiences  of  those  intervening  hours 
hidden  from  every  one  but  himself.  At  any 
rate,  we  are  left  with  nothing  more  satis- 
factory than  speculation  concerning  those 
days.  We  are  justified  in  supposing,  how- 
ever, that  there  were  prayers  for  forgiveness 
mingled  with  those  tears.  During  the  two 
days  of  silence  Peter  was  probably  suffering 
in  heart-broken  penitence.  The  records  are 
strangely  silent  concerning  him.  On  the  day 
following  the  denial,  when  the  Lord  was  be- 
ing crucified,  we  have  no  account  of  Peter 
being  near  the  cross.  John  and  the  women 
were  there,  but  Peter  is  not  mentioned. 
Probably  he  was  suffering  somewhere  alone, 
feeling  too  guilty  to  look  upon  the  Lord  in 
His  agony.  When  the  Lord  was  being  low- 
ered from  the  cross,  and  during  those  long 
hours  He  was  hdng  in  the  tomb,  Peter  was, 
so  far  as  we  know,  a  silent  and  almost  for- 
144 


REPENTANCE  AND  RESTORATION. 

gotten  member  of  the  apostolic  band.  But  on 
Sunday  morning,  the  morning  of  the  resur- 
rection, the  restitution  of  this  fallen  man 
began. 

In  the  process  of  that  restitution  there 
are  several  steps  which  should  be  noticed. 
The  first  step  was,  of  course,  the  repentance, 
to  which  reference  has  already  been  made. 
No  backslider  from  the  grace  of  God  can  find 
his  way  back  to  the  Father  without  first  re- 
penting of  his  sin  as  did  Peter.  But  Peter 
took  another  and  more  advanced  step,  which 
was  wise.  He  sought  association  with 
Christ's  people.  On  that  Sunday  morning 
we  find  him  with  the  disciples.  When  he 
sought  their  company  he  took  a  step  toward 
restitution.  Peter  was  associated  with  John, 
at  least,  on  the  resurrection  morning.  When 
Mary  Magdalene  came  early  in  the  morning 
to  the  tomb  she  found  it  empty  and  ran,  as 
the  account  says,  and  told  Peter  and  John 
what  she  had  found.  Hence  the  two  friends 
were  together  once  more  on  that  resurrection 
morn.  Together  they  ran  to  the  tomb.  It 
was  an  interesting  race.  John  was  flying  on 
the  wings  of  love,  and  Peter  on  the  wings  of 
sorrow.  Love  won,  as  it  ever  wins.  The  men 
145 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

entered  the  tomb,  Peter  after  John,  found 
evidences  of  the  resurrection,  and  returned 
to  the  city  to  tell  the  news.  Here  Peter's 
restitution  was  completed  by  another  step 
which  awaited  him.  That  step  was  the  re- 
ceiving of  evidences  of  divine  forgiveness 
and  acceptance. 

There  were  two  events  which  evidenced 
that  forgiveness  and  acceptance.  The  first 
was  the  message  which  Jesus  sent  to  Peter 
through  the  angel  at  the  tomb.  The  angel 
said  to  the  women,  ^'Go  your  way,  tell  the 
disciples  and  Peter  that  He  goeth  before  you 
into  Galilee."  The  angel  was  the  Lord's 
messenger  speaking  from  the  tomb  where  He 
had  lain,  and  the  special  reference  to  Peter 
would  be  an  evidence  to  the  backslider  that 
the  Lord  had  already  forgiven  him.  How 
Peter  must  have  rejoiced  when  he  heard  that 
special  message  directed  to  him!  It  meant 
that  in  spite  of  his  sin,  Jesus  still  loved  him. 
Perhaps  the  sinful  disciple  felt  that  his  de- 
nial had  forever  separated  him  from  his 
Lord.  But  now  he  knew  that  the  Master  was 
still  thinking  of  him  kindly,  and  there  was 
hope  for  pardon. 

Though  tliis  message  made  Peter  happy, 

146 


EEPENTANCE  AND  RESTORATION. 

the  Lord  wanted  to  give  him  a  more  personal 
consolation,  so  we  come  to  the  second  event 
mentioned  above.  It  was  the  appearance  of 
Jesus  Himself  unto  Peter.  We  have  no 
knowledge  of  the  exact  time  or  place  of  this 
meeting,  the  event  being  left  somewhat  in  the 
dark  by  the  Gospel  writers.  There  is  only 
one  reference  made  by  them  to  this  meeting 
between  Peter  and  the  Lord.  When  the  two 
disciples  came  from  their  walk  to  Emmaus 
and  entered  the  room  where  the  other  dis- 
ciples were  waiting,  the  latter  said  to  them, 
"The  Lord  is  risen  indeed  and  hath  appeared 
to  Simon."  Merely  the  fact  of  the  meet- 
ing is  mentioned.  The  details  are  left  to  be 
filled  in  by  the  imagination.  Perhaps  the 
meeting  was  an  unexpected  one  to  Peter.  'We 
can  imagine  something  of  how  the  guilty  dis- 
ciple would  feel  and  act.  He  would  be  smit- 
ten with  sorrow  and  shame  as  he  recalled  his 
sin.  He  would  fall  at  his  Master's  feet  and 
tearfully  beg  His  forgiveness.  And  the  Lord 
would  lift  him  tenderly  from  the  ground  and 
tell  him  that  his  sin  had  been  already  for- 
given. Perhaps  a  kiss  of  pardon  would  be 
placed  upon  the  disciple's  brow.  The  Lord 
would  speak  to  the  penitent  man  words  of 
147 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

warning  and  kind  advice,  and  then  perhaps 
suddenly  vanish.  But  the  heart  of  the  dis- 
ciple would  be  filled  with  joy  because  the 
Lord  had  appeared  to  him  and  spoken  the 
words  of  pardon.  The  penitent  sinner  was 
now  the  restored  apostle. 

There  is  a  depth  of  meaning  in  the  treat- 
ment the  Lord  gave  Peter  after  the  denials. 
It  shows  how  much  the  Lord  loves  even  the 
sinner  who  betrays  Him.  It  shows,  too,  that 
the  Lord  mil  employ  every  means  for  the 
backslider's  reclaim.  The  wrongdoer  who 
repents  of  his  sin  and  seeks  a  better  life  by 
association  with  God's  people  will  surely  be 
met,  pardoned,  and  restored  by  the  Good 
Master. 

The  Meeting  in  Galilee. 

One  other  scene  in  the  life  of  Peter  de- 
serves notice  before  we  close  the  first  part 
of  his  life  and  begin  the  second  with  the  scene 
at  Pentecost.  It  is  the  meeting  in  Galilee  be- 
tween the  Lord  and  His  disciples.  The 
events  which  have  been  considered  in  the 
chapters  just  preceding  this  occurred  in  or 
near  Jerusalem.  Now  the  scene  shifts  back 
to  a  familiar  place,  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  near 
148 


REPENTANCE  AND  RESTORATION. 

wliich  the  early  life  of  Peter  was  spent.  Mat- 
thew tells  us  that  the  eleven  disciples  re- 
turned to  Galilee  after  the  appearance  of  the 
resurrected  Christ  in  Jerusalem.  They  did 
this  not  only  because  it  was  going  back  home, 
but  also  because  Jesus  had  told  them  to  re- 
turn to  Galilee.  There  in  Galilee  the  Lord 
again  met  the  disciples.  On  the  day  of  the 
meeting  seven  of  the  eleven  were  present. 
It  seems  that  they  had  gone  back  to  their  old 
trade  of  fishing  in  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  This 
occupation  had  been  proposed  by  Peter  him- 
self, who  said,  *'I  go  a  fishing."  The  other 
disciples  readily  accompanied  him.  It  is  not 
to  be  supposed  that  this  return  to  their 
former  occupation  was  intended  by  the  dis- 
ciples to  be  permanent.  It  was  merely  for 
temporary  employment  until  the  Master 
should  again  come  to  them,  as  He  had  prom- 
ised. Nor  did  the  disciples  have  long  to  wait. 
One  morning  as  they  returned  to  the  shore 
after  a  night  of  hard  toil  and  fruitless,  they 
found  the  Lord  waiting  for  them.  His  first 
word  spoken  to  them  was  full  of  significance. 
He  knew  the  fishermen  were  tired  and  hungry 
after  their  long  season  of  labor,  so  He  said 
to  them,  ''Children,  have  you  any  meat?" 
149 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

His  first  thought  was  of  their  physical  wants. 
Herein  is  a  valuable  suggestion  as  to  the 
method  of  dealing  with  needy  men.  The 
inner  and  higher  life  can  be  more  easily 
reached  after  the  physical  life  has  been  sat- 
isfied. Improving  man's  temporal  condition 
by  bettering  him  socially  will  open  the  way 
to  reach  more  readily  the  moral  and  spiritual 
condition.  Jesus  first  of  all  fed  the  disciples. 
But  after  they  had  dined  He  began  to  teach 
Peter  higher  things.  Three  times  the  Lord 
asked  of  Peter  the  question,  "Lovest  thou 
Me  ? ' '  Receiving  the  affirmative  answer,  the 
Lord  three  times  laid  upon  Peter  the  grave 
duty  of  feeding  the  flock.  Peter  had  fallen 
not  a  great  while  before,  but  now  he  was  re- 
stored, and  the  Lord,  knowing  his  mettle^  was 
willing  to  trust  him  for  the  future.  How 
worthy  Peter  was  of  that  trust  we  shall  see 
later. 

There  is  a  suggestion  in  this  threefold 
question  of  the  Lord  to  Peter.  The  question 
given  three  times  would  probably  suggest  to 
Peter  the  threefold  denial  of  which  lie  had 
recently  been  guilty,  and  reveal  to  him  the 
danger  of  placing  his  confidence  in  himself. 
As  he  faced  the  future  service  the  basis  of 
150 


REPENTANCE  AND  RESTORATION. 

his  strength  should  not  be  confidence  in  him- 
self, but  rather  love  for  and  dependence  upon 
his  Master.  Hence  the  repeated  question, 
''Lovest  thou  Me?" 

One  more  important  lesson  the  Lord 
taught  Peter  in  that  meeting  in  Galilee. 
After  giving  to  Peter  the  commission  to  feed 
the  sheep,  and  after  teaching  him  that  his 
safety  was  in  love  for  his  Master,  Jesus  said 
to  him,  * '  Follow  Me. ' '  Obeying  this  instruc- 
tion, Peter  turned  from  the  seashore  and  be- 
gan to  walk  away  in  company  with  the  Lord. 
It  seems,  too,  that  John  began  to  follow  them, 
which  fact  raised  a  question  in  the  mind  of 
Peter.  To  the  Lord  he  said,  ''What  shall 
this  man  do?"  It  was  as  if  Peter  said, 
''Lord,  why  should  John  be  coming  after 
usf  "  There  may  be  a  suggestion  of  jealousy 
or  of  selfishness  in  the  question.  There  was 
in  it,  at  least,  an  unwarranted  curiosity. 
Hence,  the  answer  of  the  Lord  was  signifi- 
cant: "What  is  that  to  thee?  Follow  thou 
Me."  How  easy  it  is  for  our  actions  in  the 
Kingdom  of  God  to  be  altered  or  at  least 
colored  by  the  actions  of  other  people.  One 
brother  is  offended  because  another  brother 
engages  in  questionable  actions.  Another 
151 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

can  not  worship  in  a  certain  Church  because 
a  supposed  hypocrite  is  there.  Another  is 
jealous  and  says,  "Lord,  what  business  has 
this  man  to  take  such  a  prominent  part  in 
the  work  of  the  Church!"  To  all  this  quib- 
bling Jesus  gives  the  answer :  '■ '  What  is  that 
to  thee?  Follow  thou  Me. "  In  other  words, 
our  responsibility  to  the  Lord  is  not  altered 
in  the  least  by  what  another  may  do  or  fail 
to  do.  We  may  deplore  certain  conditions 
and  actions  in  others,  but  after  all  we  have 
an  individual  responsibility  to  the  Lord  and 
must  follow  Him  in  spite  of  what  others  do 
or  say. 

This  incident  gives  us  the  last  glimpse 
of  Peter  in  the  Gospels.  He  was  probably 
with  the  other  disciples,  however,  when  Jesus 
gave  them  the  commission  to  go  into  all  the 
world  and  preach  the  gospel.  Some  time 
later  Jesus  was  with  His  disciples  in  Jeru- 
salem again,  and  there  He  taught  them  con- 
cerning their  future  mission.  Then  He  led 
them  out  as  far  as  Bethany,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  which  occurred  the  ascension. 
**He  was  parted  from  them  and  a  cloud  re- 
ceived Him  out  of  their  sight."  The  last 
words  of  Jesus  to  His  disciples  were  signifi- 
152 


REPENTANCE  AND  RESTORATION. 

cant.  He  said,  ''Tarry  ye  at  Jerusalem  until 
ye  receive  power  from  on  high."  In  the 
Book  of  Acts  the  secret  of  that  power  is  given 
in  the  words,  ''Ye  shall  receive  power  after 
that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you. ' '  In 
this  last  message  the  Lord  has  given  the  key 
to  the  Church's  success  and  to  the  indi- 
vidual's power.  It  is  the  Holy  Ghost.  What 
a  vast  difference  that  power  made  in  the  life 
of  Peter  will  be  seen  in  the  following  chap- 
ters. 


153 


PART  TWO. 

THE  SEASON  OF  SERVICE. 

(From  Pentecost  to  the  Council  at  Jerusalem, 
51  A.  D.) 


CHAPTER  XL 
PETER  AT  PENTECOST. 

The  studies  considered  in  Part  One  were 
taken  from  the  Gospels.  For  the  lessons  now 
to  be  considered  we  must  pass  to  the  Book  of 
Acts.  The  connecting  link  between  the  Gos- 
pels and  the  Acts  is  the  ascension.  It  is  the 
event  last  spoken  of  in  the  Gospels  and  first 
spoken  of  in  the  Acts.  The  ascension  closes 
one  era  and  opens  another.  The  history  of 
Jesus  ends  and  the  history  of  His  Church 
begins.  In  the  Gospels  the  history  centers 
around  one  life  largely,  the  life  of  Jesus.  In 
the  Acts  the  history  centers  around  two  men, 
Peter  and  Paul.  Peter  is  the  chief  figure  in 
the  first  part  of  Acts,  up  to  the  time  of  the 
council  at  Jerusalem,  about  the  year  51  A.  D. 
After  that  time  Peter  suddenly  drops  from 
view  and  Paul  takes  his  place  as  the  chief 
leader  in  the  Church.  We  are  concerned 
with  the  character  of  Peter,  however,  rather 
than  Paul. 

Peter  in  the  Acts  is  a  different  man  from 
157 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Peter  in  the  Gospels.  Pentecost  has  come 
in  the  meantime.  Before  Pentecost,  Peter 
was  an  impulsive,  vacillating,  and  even  cow- 
ardly follower  of  the  Master.  But  after 
Pentecost,  Peter  becomes  the  wise,  bold,  and 
steadfast  leader  of  the  Church.  Formerly 
he  had  been  the  schoolboy  learning  his  les- 
sons at  the  feet  of  a  Master,  and  learning 
them  slowly  and  poorly.  But  now  he  be- 
comes a  man  asserting  himself  with  a  power 
that  is  felt  in  the  world.  To  use  a  figure 
Jesus  once  applied  to  John  the  Baptist,  for- 
merly he  was  a  reed  shaken  by  the  wind. 
Now  he  was  become  not  only  a  prophet,  but 
more  than  a  prophet. 

The  career  of  Peter  was  followed  in  Part 
One  to  the  scene  of  the  ascension.  That 
event  probably  occurred  somewhere  near 
Bethany,  on  the  eastern  slope  of  Mt.  Olivet. 
The  highest  point  on  Mt.  Olivet  is  about 
twenty-seven  hundred  feet  above  the  sea 
level,  and  about  three  hundred  feet  above 
the  spot  occupied  by  the  temple  in  Jeru- 
salem. This  highest  point  is  to-day  called 
the  Mount  of  Ascension,  and  tradition  has 
it  that  this  is  the  very  point  from  which 
the  Lord  ascended  into  heaven.  But  since 
158 


PETER  AT  PENTECOST. 

Luke  says  that  Jesus  led  the  disciples 
out  as  far  as  Bethany  for  the  ascension, 
it  is  probable  that  in  that  neighborhood 
the  Lord  was  separated  from  His  dis- 
ciples and  caught  up  into  the  clouds.  The 
exact  spot  of  the  ascension  is  a  matter  of 
uncertainty,  to  say  the  least. 

From  the  scene  of  the  ascension  the  dis- 
ciples returned  to  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  The 
Lord  had  instructed  them  to  tarry  in  Jeru- 
salem until  they  were  endued  with  power 
from  on  high.  The  instruction  was  heeded 
and  the  disciples  entered  into  their  period 
of  tarrying.  The  place  of  their  waiting  is  a 
matter  of  interest.  It  is  said  that  upon  their 
return  to  the  city  the  disciples  assembled  in 
the  Upper  Eoom.  The  definite  article  is  used, 
implying  that  the  room  was  one  already 
familiar  to  the  disciples.  It  is  likely  that  it 
was  the  same  room  in  which  the  Lord  had 
eaten  the  last  Passover,  and  tradition  asserts 
that  this  was  the  home  of  the  father  of  John 
Mark.  At  any  rate,  it  was  a  friendly  retreat 
for  the  disciples.  There  the  eleven  assem- 
bled to  await  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise. 
Peter's  name  appears  first  in  the  list  in  this 
case,  as  it  did  in  the  Gospel  narratives,  which 
159 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

fact  suggests  the   supremacy  he   still  held 
among  the  disciples. 

The  occupation  of  the  Lord's  followers 
during  this  period  of  retirement  is  important 
to  note.  Two  features  were  prominent  in 
their  conduct,  one  being  a  continuance  in 
prayer,  and  the  other  being  a  certain  prepa- 
ration for  future  service.  Not  only  did  the 
faithful  disciples  go  to  the  appointed  places 
of  public  prayer  at  the  appointed  time,  but  in 
that  Upper  Room  they  continued  steadfast  in 
prayer.  There  might  easily  have  been  temp- 
tations to  forsake  their  cause  and  return  to 
their  former  employment.  They  might  have 
been  discouraged  concerning  the  prospects 
for  the  future.  But  nothing  of  this  nature 
is  recorded.  With  one  purpose  and  one  heart 
they  prayed.  What  the  content  of  their 
prayers  was  we  can  only  guess.  No  record 
of  those  Pentecostal  petitions  is  given  us. 
We  may  imagine,  however,  that  they  would 
abound  in  desires  for  the  speedy  sending  of 
the  Comforter,  and  for  the  power  that  w^ould 
come  from  His  presence.  However  that  may 
be,  continued  prayer  at  that  time  is  signifi- 
cant. When  men  are  seemingly  forsaken  and 
feel  their  helplessness,  prayer  is  natural.  It 
160 


PETER  AT  PENTECOST. 

is  a  real  answer  to  one's  need  when  death 
comes  and  takes  away  a  dear  one,  when  mis- 
fortune comes  and  sweeps  away  property, 
or  when  calamity  blasts  the  hopes  in  life. 

But  these  disciples  did  more  than  pray. 
They  prepared  for  service.  They  no  longer 
felt  that  their  cause  had  failed,  as  they  did 
at  the  time  of  the  Lord 's  crucifixion,  but  they 
were  now  looking  forward  to  a  future  of  ac- 
tivity. One  act  which  they  performed  shows 
this  expectation.  It  was  the  choosing  of  a 
man  to  take  the  place  of  Judas,  who  had 
fallen.  The  Lord  always  has  some  way  of 
filling  up  the  gaps  which  occur  in  His  Church 
by  the  falling  away  of  some  of  His  followers. 
Churches  sometimes  have  to  pass  through 
such  seasons  of  trial  that  it  almost  seems  that 
they  must  perish.  Losses  come  which  seem 
almost  fatal.  But  God  in  some  way  atones 
for  the  loss.  There  have  been  self-important 
people  in  the  Church,  too,  who  have  imagined 
that  if  they  dropped  out  the  Church  would 
go  to  pieces.  They  have  dropped  out,  and  to 
their  astonishment  the  Church  has  moved 
steadily  on.  God  filled  the  gap — if  any  there 
was  to  fill. 

The  disciples  arranged  to  fill  up  the  gap 
161 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

occasioned  by  the  fall  of  Judas.  The  method 
of  choosing  this  new  member  of  the  apostolic 
band  was  proposed  by  Peter,  who  made  an 
address  showing  that  the  act  of  Judas  was 
prophesied  in  the  Scriptures  and  was  one 
that  must  needs  occur.  The  fate  of  Judas 
was  mentioned,  but  the  point  that  Peter  made 
especially  prominent  was  the  necessity  of 
choosing  a  man  to  take  the  place  of  Judas. 
Peter  quoted  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures 
so  freely  that  we  must  conclude  that  he  had 
an  intimate  acquaintance  with  them,  and  we 
are  led  to  w^onder  if  a  part  of  the  time  of 
waiting  in  the  Upper  Room  was  not  spent  in 
searching  tliose  Scriptures. 

The  method  of  election  proposed  by  Peter 
was  to  nominate  two  men  and  choose  one  of 
the  two  by  lot.  The  two  men  selected  were 
Joseph,  called  Barsabas,  and  Matthias. 
Nothing  is  known  of  these  men  aside  from 
their  connection  with  this  event.  After  the 
nomination  of  these  men  the  disciples"  en- 
gaged in  prayer,  asking  the  guidance  of  God 
in  the  final  selection.  What  a  splendid  prece- 
dent !  A  good  prelude  to  an  election  always 
is  prayer.  If  municipal,  state,  and  national 
elections  were  the  result  of  prayer  we  would 

162 


PETER  AT  PENTECOST. 

have  a  different  life  socially  and  nationally. 
In  the  case  before  us  the  selection  was  by  lot. 
Stones  or  bits  of  some  material  were  prob- 
ably placed  in  a  vessel  and  drawn  by  turn. 
The  lot  fell  upon  Matthias,  and  he  was  num- 
bered with  the  apostles. 

At  last  the  ten  days  of  waiting  were  past. 
The  final  day  was  the  day  of  Pentecost.  The 
word  ''Pentecost"  having  in  it  the  meaning 
of  the  ''fiftieth,"  refers  to  the  fiftieth  day 
after  the  beginning  of  the  feast  of  the  Pass- 
over, or  more  strictly,  the  fiftieth  day  after 
the  day  in  Passover  week  in  which  the  barley 
sheaf  was  offered.  This  occurred  on  the  six- 
teenth of  Nisan.  The  Passover  began  on  the 
fourteenth  of  Nisan,  on  Thursday.  This 
would  make  the  sixteenth  fall  on  Saturday. 
Hence,  as  some  curious  people  have  figured 
out,  Pentecost  must  have  fallen  on  Sunday, 
fiftj)^  days  later. 

Upon  that  notable  day  the  disciples  and 
others  to  the  number  of  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  were  assembled  with  one 
accord  in  the  Upper  Room.  It  is  to  be  noted 
that  there  was  complete  unity  in  the  as- 
sembly. All  hearts  were  as  one.  The  secret 
of  power  in  any  Church  is  unity  of  purpose 

163 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

and  effort  sanctified  by  the  presence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  "Where  that  unity  exists  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  likely  to  be.  Hence  Ave  are 
not  surprised  at  the  descent  of  the  Spirit 
upon  the  waiting  and  united  disciples.  The 
coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  accom- 
panied by  a  twofold  manifestation.  There 
was  a  sound  and  an  appearance.  The  sound 
was  unusual  in  its  volume,  being  as  a  rush- 
ing, mighty  wind.  It  was  not  wind,  but  a 
sound  as  of  wind.  The  physical  appearance 
w^as  that  of  tongues  like  as  of  fire.  The  sound 
like  the  wind  indicated  the  active  power  of 
the  Spirit,  while  the  api)earance  like  tongues 
of  fire  indicated  the  instrument  by  which 
the  gospel  was  to  be  advanced — the  human 
tongue.  Together  these  manifestations  indi- 
cated that  a  power  mightier  than  the  winds 
wdiich  swept  over  the  sides  of  Mt.  Hermon 
and  shook  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  was  granted 
to  the  disciples  to  loosen  their  tongues  and 
send  them  preaching  through  the  nations  of 
the  earth,  until  by  the  power  of  that  preached 
Word  the  nations  of  the  earth  should  become 
the  Kingdom  of  our  Lord. 

The  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  had  an  im- 
mediate effect  upon  those  present  which  we 
164 


PETER  AT  PENTECOST. 

should  note.  They  were  filled  with  the  Spirit 
and  began  to  speak  with  other  tongues  as 
the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance.  The  imme- 
diate effect,  then,  of  the  coming  of  the  Spirit 
was  the  impartation  of  a  new  power.  The 
coming  of  the  Spirit  into  a  human  life  is  the- 
secret  of  the  life's  power,  and  provides  an 
equipment  for  service  which  would  otherwise 
be  impossible.  There  is  no  better  example 
of  the  empowering  effect  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  human  life  than  that  of  Peter.  The  com- 
ing of  the  Spirit  marked  the  changing  point 
in  his  life.  Jesus  had  said  to  him  before, 
''When  thou  art  changed,  strengthen  the 
brethren."  Here  was  the  changing  time. 
Formerly  Peter  had  been  vacillating  and 
cowardly,  but  when  the  Spirit  came  into  his 
life  the  coward  was  changed  to  the  hero  and 
as  an  apostle  became  immovable.  Peter  is 
a  new  man.  No  more  does  he  blaspheme  or 
deny  his  Lord,  but  stands  with  a  firmness 
that  mil  not  deny  or  betray  though  death 
come.  Look  at  Peter  trembling  like  a 
whipped  boy  in  the  presence  of  the  damsel 
on  that  sad  night  of  denial;  then  see  him  at 
Pentecost,  standing  before  the  multitude  with 
fire  in  his  eye  and  thunder  in  his  voice,  ac- 

165 


THE  EX  A  T.TED  FISHEBMA^\ 

casing  the  mnrderers  of  Christ  to  their  faces 
and  striking  conviction  to  their  hearts  until 
they  cry  out  for  forgiveness.  Behold  that 
contrast  and  in  it  you  see  the  transforming 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  writer  once 
heard  Dwight  L.  Moody  tell  a  strange  ex- 
perience. He  said  that  he  once  went  back  to 
a  former  Church  to  preach,  and  used  a  ser- 
mon which  he  had  used  there  before.  After 
the  service  a  friend  came  to  him  and  said, 
*'Mr.  Moody,  why  did  you  not  preach  us  a 
sermon  like  that  when  you  were  here  be- 
fore?" Mr.  Moody  said,  *'Why,  I  preached 
the  same  sermon  here. ' '  The  friend  doubted 
it,  but  Mr.  Moody  insisted.  '  *  Well, ' '  said  the 
friend,  ''come  back  and  preach  it  again." 
Mr.  Moody  said  that  he  did  go  back  later 
and  preached  the  same  sermon,  with  the  re- 
sult that  near  one  hundred  souls  were  con- 
verted. AVhat  was  the  difference?  Mr. 
Moody  explained  it  by  sajdng  that  at  first 
it  was  Moody  preaching  for  the  Spirit,  but 
at  last  it  was  the  Spirit  preaching  through 
Moody.  The  difference  was  in  the  power  of 
the  Spirit.  This  is  the  great  lesson  of  Pente- 
cost— the  power  of  the  Spirit.  "Would  we 
have  it  we  must  do  as  Peter  did,  wait  at 

166 


PETER  AT  PENTECOST. 

Jernsalem  in  prayer.  When  Cicero  was 
asked  for  the  rules  of  oratory,  he  said  there 
were  three:  First,  ac-tion.  Second,  action. 
Third,  action.  There  are  likewise  three  rules 
for  power  with  God:  First,  pray.  Second, 
pray.    Third,  pray. 

But  Peter  did  more  than  wait.  He  did 
more  than  pray.  He  used  the  power  when 
it  came.  To  pray  for  power  to  hold  without 
use,  while  we  rust  out,  is  folly.  God  grants 
power  only  to  those  who  will  use  it.  From 
Pentecost  on  to  Ms  death,  Peter  used  the 
p.ower.  It  is  worthy  of  note,  too,  that  all 
the  disciples  who  received  power  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost  began  immediately  to  use  it  as 
did  Peter.  The  impression  prevails  that 
Peter  was  the  only  one  who  did  active  work 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  But  the  fact  is  that 
they  were  all  filled  with  the  Spirit,  and  all 
began  to  speak  with  other  tongues.  All  used 
the  power  given  to  them.  The  truth  is  that 
the  one  condition  upon  which  God  grants 
power  is  that  we  use  it.  If  we  seek  it  for 
any  other  purpose,  we  seek  it  in  vain.  The 
gift  of  the  Spirit  is  sometimes  sought  as  a 
matter  of  personal  satisfaction,  or  because 
the  Church  urges  an  effort  in  that  direction. 

167 


\/- 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Meanwhile  the  idea  of  possessing  the  power 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  using  it  for  the  glory 
of  God  is  forgotten.  In  such  a  case  the 
seeker  need  not  be  surprised  if  the  gift  is 
never  received.  The  motive  is  wrong.  God 
grants  the  Spirit  for  service.  Peter  at  Pente- 
cost seemed  to  understand  this  truth  and  ac- 
cepted the  gift  as  a  new  instrument  to  be 
used  in  the  Lord's  work.  How  he  began  to 
use  it  will  be  seen  in  the  next  chapter.  How 
he  continued  to  use  it  will  be  seen  in  later 
chapters.  Meanwhile,  let  us  think  of  Peter 
as  one  who  has  graduated  from  his  school 
of  training  and  entered  the  great  field  of 
active  service,  carrying  with  him  that  divine 
credential — the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 


168 


CHAPTER  XII. 

PETER  AS  A  PREACHER. 

The  descent  of  the  Spirit  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  had  an  effect  upon  the  disciples 
and  likewise  upon  those  who  witnessed  the 
demonstration.  It  granted  to  the  disciples 
the  supernatural  power  of  speaking  in  un- 
known tongues.  It  stirred  the  spectators  to 
a  desperate  attempt  to  account  for  the  mani- 
festation on  natural  grounds.  The  city  of 
Jerusalem  was  at  that  time  full  of  people 
from  ''every  nation  under  heaven."  When 
these  strangers  heard  the  disciples  speaking 
in  other  tongues  than  their  own,  so  that  every 
auditor  heard  in  his  own  familiar  language, 
they  showed  the  perversity  of  human  nature 
by  denying  that  God  had  done  the  strange 
thing,  and  declared  that  it  was  the  work  of 
man.  Thus  upon  the  first  day  of  the 
Church's  history  there  was  exhibited  one  of 
the  chief  defects  of  man's  nature.  It  was 
that  of  ^\'itnessing  the  work  of  God  and  yet 
failing  to  give  God  credit  for  it.  God  is 
169 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

visible  in  the  earth,  sea,  sky,  and  air.  We 
look  at  His  work  daily,  yet  we  fail  to  realize 
that  we  see  God  in  His  work.  In  the  spring 
days  the  grass  begins  to  grow  and  the  flowers 
to  bloom.  The  trees  take  on  new  foliage,  and 
all  nature  assumes  a  new  attire.  We  see  it 
all,  but  we  do  not  realize  that  we  see  God 
working.  We  call  it  nature  changing,  but  it 
is  God  working.  We  see  human  lives  trans- 
formed, old  defects  taken  away  and  new 
powers  given,  and  we  say  man  has  changed. 
We  attribute  it  to  some  human  agency,  but 
it  is  God  at  work. 

So  these  strangers  in  Jerusalem  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost  made  the  mistake  of  at- 
tributing divine  manifestations  to  human 
agencies.  They  gave  out  as  an  explanation 
of  the  supernatural  manifestations  one  of  the 
silliest  reasons  recorded  in  any  book,  and  yet 
the  reason  was  hardly  less  silly  than  some 
more  modern  attempts  to  attribute  the  work 
of  God  to  the  agency  of  man.  The  explana- 
tion offered  was  that  the  disciples  were  filled 
with  new  wine.  Think  of  the  foolishness 
of  the  assertion!  It  implied  that  wine  had 
the  power  to  make  a  man  speak  a  foreign 
tongue.  It  meant  that  wine  could  enable  a 
170 


PETEE  AS  A  PREACHEE. 

Jew  to  speak  the  Arabian  language,  or  the 
Cretan,  or  the  Greek  I  Would  a  sane  person 
to-day  expect  wine  to  enable  an  American  to 
speak  Spanish  or  French?  It  is  true  that 
wine  can  do  some  strange  things,  but  no  one 
has  ever  heard  of  it  assisting  to  an  intelli- 
gent mastery  of  foreign  languages.  Instead 
of  adding  sense  in  speech,  wine  usually  takes 
it  away.  The  folly  of  this  explanation  is, 
therefore,  apparent  on  the  face  of  it.  Never- 
theless, it  furnished  Peter  with  a  text  for  a 
sermon,  and  we  soon  see  the  former  blas- 
phemer transformed  into  a  fearless  preacher 
and,  standing  before  the  hostile  crowd,  de- 
livering the  message  in  the  name  of  the  Mas- 
ter whom  he  had  recently  denied.  We  will 
notice  both  the  preacher  and  his  sermon. 
The  preacher  exhibited  several  definite  char- 
acteristics which  are  worthy  of  notice. 

He  was  tactful.  Formerly  Peter  had  woe- 
fully lacked  tactfulness.  He  seldom  delib- 
erated or  reasoned.  He  acted  without 
thought,  by  sheer  impulse.  His  former  motto 
was  act  in  haste  and  repent  at  leisure.  But 
as  Peter  stood  up  to  preach  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  he  manifested  the  tact  and  discre- 
tion of  a  veteran  orator.    His  task  was  to 

171 


THE  EXALTED  FISHEEMAN. 

persuade  a  crowd  that  was  opposed  to  him. 
A  mistake  at  the  start  would  throw  the  peo- 
ple entirely  out  of  touch  with  him  and  be 
fatal  to  his  purpose.  But  Peter  made  no 
mistake.  He  began  his  address  not  by  mak- 
ing a  statement  of  his  own,  but  by  taking  a 
statement  from  the  mouths  of  the  people 
themselves.  He  let  them  speak  through  him. 
The  statement  referred  to  is  the  one  con- 
cerning drunkenness,  already  mentioned.  It 
was  as  if  Peter  said:  "You  say  these  Gali- 
leans are  drunk.  Let  us  notice  your  state- 
ment a  moment."  He  then  proceeded,  not 
to  condemn  them  harshly  for  their  statement, 
but  by  the  use  of  cold  reasoning,  wliich  they 
were  obliged  to  accept,  to  show  them  that 
their  statement  was  wrong.  "It  is  but  the 
third  hour  of  the  day,"  said  Peter.  Now,  it 
was  the  custom  of  the  Jews  upon  Sabbaths 
and  feast  days  to  refrain  from  eating  or 
drinking  until  after  the  hour  of  the  morning 
prayer,  which  was  the  third  hour,  or  about 
nine  o'clock.  Upon  this  day  of  Pentecost 
there  would,  therefore,  be  no  drinking  until 
after  the  third  hour.  It  is  to  this  well-known 
custom  that  Peter  referred.  In  substance  he 
said  to  his  audience,  "You  know  these  men 

172 


PETER  AS  A  PREACHER. 

do  not  drink  until  after  the  third  hour,  hence 
they  can  not  be  drunk." 

The  explanation  which  the  people  had  of- 
fered being  thus  overthrown,  the  way  would 
be  cleared  for  the  offering  of  another  and 
better  one.  The  people  themselves  would  be 
ready  to  listen  to  another.  Here  was  Peter's 
opportunity.  He  boldly  offered  the  explana- 
tion that  this  work  was  by  the  power  of  God 
and  not  a  freak  of  man.  But  he  did  not  offer 
the  explanation  upon  his  own  authority. 
Had  he  done  so,  his  testimony  would  prob- 
ably have  been  rejected.  But  he  offered  it 
upon  the  authority  of  the  Jewish  Scriptures,  ■ 
and  in  the  words  of  the  revered  Prophet  Joel. 
Now,  the  Jews  were  firm  believers  in  their 
prophets  and  in  their  Scriptures.  Their  ut- 
terances were  accepted  as  almost  law.  Hence, 
when  Peter  quoted  Joel,  and  made  him  say 
that  this  manifestation  was  the  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  the  people  were  not 
ready  to  deny  the  explanation.  So  by  this 
display  of  tact  Peter  placed  the  multitude  in 
sympathy  with  himself  and  prepared  the  way 
for  the  other  messages  he  had  to  bring. 

Again,     Peter     was     Scriptural     as     a 
preacher.     In  his  sermon  at  Pentecost  he 

173 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

displayed  a  splendid  knowledge  of  the  proph- 
ets and  Psalms.  He  seemed  to  recognize  the 
A,  truth,  which  is  the  key  to  all  effective  preach- 
ing, that  power  lies  in  having  a  Scriptural 
foundation  for  the  message  presented.  In 
this  respect  Peter  would  have  made  a  poor 
preacher  for  some  modern  pulpits.  His  ad- 
herence to  the  Scriptures  would  be  too  close 
to  please  the  taste  of  his  auditors.  To  be 
popular  with  some  modern  congregations  the 
preacher  must  take  his  text  from  some  recent 
novel  and  present  a  literary  essay,  or  else 
select  some  scientific  or  philosophic  subject 
and  deliver  a  discourse  with  very  little  ref- 
erence to  God  or  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 
No  one  ought  to  object  to  the  preacher  using 
current  literature,  science,  or  philosophy  to 
ornament  and  make  attractive  his  gospel 
message.  But  when  such  incidentals  are 
made  a  substitute  for  the  gospel  itself,  while 
God  and  the  Savior  are  pushed  to  the  back- 
ground, a  solemn  protest  ought  to  go  up  from 
the  Christian  Church.  Peter  had  too  much 
respect  for  the  Scriptures  to  be  guilty  of 
such  soulless  preaching.  This  Pentecostal 
preacher,  like  the  Master  whom  he  served, 
had  a  Scriptural  ground  for  everything.    The 

174 


PETER  AS  A  PREACHER. 

Master,  in  His  temptation  on  the  Mount,  and 
in  His  controversies  with  His  foes,  could  al- 
ways protect  Himself  by  saying,  * '  It  is  writ- 
ten.'* Peter  possessed  something  of  that 
same  ability. 

If  the  question  be  raised  as  to  how  Peter 
acquired  this  ability,  the  answer  will  suggest 
itself,  in  part  at  least,  to  the  effect  that  divine 
inspiration  had  something  to  do  with  it.  It 
is  apparent  that  on  the  day  of  Pentecost 
Peter  was  unusually  inspired  by  the  presence 
of  the  Divine  Spirit.  A  part  of  that  inspira- 
tion was  the  illuminating  of  his  mind  so  that 
whatever  Scripture  he  had  formerly  known 
or  heard  was  brought  to  his  thought  though 
it  had  been  long  unused.  It  was  used  with 
telling  effect.  In  addition  to  this  inspiration, 
it  is  probable  that  Peter  had  added  to  his 
store  of'  information  during  those  ten  days 
of  waiting  in  the  Upper  Room.  We  know 
that  he  spent  much  time  in  prayer,  and  it  is 
likely  that  his  prayer  was  supplemented  by 
the  searching  of  the  Scriptures.  At  any 
rate,  Peter  was  familiar  with  the  writings 
of  the  fathers.  This  is  the  fact  of  practical 
importance.  It  pays  to  know  the  Bible.  It 
provides  a  defense  against  doubt.  It  gives 
175 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

strength  in  temptation  and  comfort  in  dis- 
tress. Search  the  Scriptures.  The  more  we 
know  of  the  Book,  the  better  Christians  we 
are. 

Again,  Peter  as  a  preacher  was  coura- 
geous. He  did  not  preach  at  Pentecost  for 
the  pleasing  of  the  popular  ear.  His  pur- 
pose was  not  that  the  people  might  go  away 
and  say  that  it  was  a  beautiful  sermon.  He 
was  preaching  to  show  men  the  need  of  re- 
demption and  the  way  thereto.  Hence,  he 
spoke  to  those  present  about  their  sins;  not 
about  sins,  but  about  their  sins.  The  sins  of 
the  ancients  were  omitted  and  those  men  in 
Jerusalem  were  brought  face  to  face  with 
their  sins.  Peter  looked  his  congregation 
squarely  in  the  face,  and  with  a  voice  that 
had  no  room  for  apology  hurled  the  accusa- 
tion of  their  guilt  upon  them.  In  this  respect 
also  Peter  Avould  have  met  poorly  the  de- 
mands of  some  modern  Churches.  The 
preacher  of  to-day  is  sometimes  required  to 
discourse  upon  the  sins  of  the  patriarchs  and 
boldly  denounce  the  sinners  who  have  been 
dead  for  ages,  but  the  sins  of  the  present  gen- 
eration are  to  be  let  severely  alone.  There 
is  a  suggestive  story  told  concerning  an  emi- 

176 


PETER  AS  A  PREACHER. 

iient  minister  who  paid  a  \^sit  to  a  brother 
minister,  and  as  the  visit  was  to  include  a 
Sunday,  the  visiting  minister  was  asked  to 
preach  in  the  morning  service.  He  con- 
sented, and  at  the  hour  appointed  for  the 
service  the  tAvo  ministers  entered  the  pulpit 
together.  The  pastor  of  the  congregation 
looked  carefully  over  the  assembly  and  then 
whispered  to  the  visiting  minister :  ' '  I  hope 
you  won't  say  anything  about  dancing  this 
morning.  Some  of  my  dancing  members  are 
present."  After  a  short  silence  the  pastor 
again  whispered  to  the  visiting  minister  and 
said,  ''Please  don't  say  anything  about  the 
theater,  because  a  number  of  my  people  at- 
tend." Another  period  of  silence  followed, 
and  then  the  pastor  said  to  the  visitor,  just 
before  he  stood  to  begin  his  sermon:  "Please 
do  n  't  say  anything  about  drinking.  A  good 
many  of  my  men  like  to  take  their  drinks 
occasionally."  Then  the  visitor  in  a  per- 
plexed tone  asked,  ''What  in  the  world  shall 
I  preach  about  ? ' '  And  the  pastor  answered : 
' '  Give  it  to  the  Mormons.  There  are  none  of 
them  present." 

Now,  strange  and  ridiculous  as  that  inci- 
dent may  seem,  it  illustrates  all  too  truly 

"  177 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

much  of  the  present-day  demand  in  preach- 
ing. The  great  concern  seems  to  be  to  avoid 
saying  anything  about  the  defects  of  the 
people  addressed.  Yet  one  of  the  aims  of 
true  preaching  is  to  reveal  to  men  their  sins 
and  defects  that  they  may  become  better. 
Peter  told  his  hearers  of  their  sins.  He  said 
to  them  in  substance,  ''You  men  are  mur- 
derers ;  murderers,  not  in  the  ordinary  sense, 
but  you  have  killed  the  very  Son  of  God.'* 
The  accusation  went  like  a  knife  to  the  hearts 
of  the  people,  who  in  their  distress  cried  out 
for  pardon  and  salvation.  The  tactful.  Scrip- 
tural, and  courageous  method  of  Peter  was, 
therefore,  effective,  as  such  a  method  will 
usually  be. 

Peter  was  on  this  occasion  a  model 
preacher,  and  the  sermon  which  he  produced 
may  be  called  a  model  sermon.  When  we 
study  the  content  of  that  sermon  we  dis- 
cover that  its  keynote  was  Jesus  Christ.  The 
feeling  of  Peter  seemed  to  be  akin  to  that 
of  Paul,  who  determined  to  know  nothing  but 
Christ  and  Him  crucified.  Jesus  Christ  was 
all  that  Peter  knew  in  his  sermon  at  Pente- 
cost.   He  stated  four  facts  concerning  Christ. 

First,  lie  was  crucified.  No  one  doubted 
178 


PETER  AS  A  PREACHER. 

that.  But  Peter  pointed  out  that  His  cruci- 
fixion was  a  part  of  the  plan  of  God.  It  was 
done  in  harmony  with  the  *' determinate 
counsel  and  foreknowledge  of  God."  It  was 
done  because  there  must  be  an  atonement  for 
the  sins  of  men.  The  question  of  the  real 
import  of  the  atonement,  that  mystery  into 
which  the  Church  has  so  boldly  and  foolishly 
plunged  in  her  theology,  was  left  untouched 
by  Peter.  He  was  content  to  name  merely  the 
fact  that  the  atonement  was  necessary  from 
the  standpoint  of  God.    Jesus  was  crucified. 

Second,  He  was  raised  from  the^  dead. 
This  was  a  point  the  people  were  not  so  ready 
to  accept.  But  Peter  made  it  easy  for  them 
to  accept  it  by  quoting  from  their  own  Scrip- 
tures the  prophecy  of  the  resurrection.  The 
statement  of  David  was  cited, '  *■  Thou  wilt  not 
suffer  thine  Holy  One  to  see  corruption." 
The  testimony  of  David  would  not  be  rejected 
by  the  Jews.  This  Peter  knew.  And  he  pro- 
ceeds to  show  that  the  words  of  David  re- 
ferred not  to  David  himself,  but  to  Jesus,  who 
was  crucified. 

Third,  He  was  exalted  by  the  right  hand 
of  God.  Peter  again  manifested  his  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Scripture  when  he  said,  ''The 
179 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Lord  said  unto  my  lord,  sit  thou  on  My  right 
hand. ' '  Here  the  climax  of  Peter 's  argument 
is  reached.  If  this  crucified  Man  was  raised 
from  the  dead  and  exalted  to  the  right  hand 
of  God,  as  the  Scriptures  taught.  He  must 
indeed  be  the  Messiah.  Some  of  the  crowd 
saw  the  point  Peter  made.  They  had  mur- 
dered the  Messiah.  They  were  pricked  in 
their  hearts  and  cried,  ''What  shall  we  do  to 
be  saved f"  It  was  toward  this  point  of  con- 
viction and  penitence  that  Peter  had  been 
working.  He  Avas  now  ready  to  make  the 
most  important  statement  of  all  concerning 
the  crucified  Christ.    It  was : 

Fourth,  He  is  the  Way  of  salvation.  To 
the  guilty  murderers  of  the  Lord  Peter 
pointed  out  the  only  way  of  salvation.  His 
sermon,  therefore,  is  the  gospel  in  a  nutshell. 
The  crucified,  risen,  exalted  Christ  is  the  only 
means  by  which  men  may  be  saved. 

The  aim  of  Peter's  sermon  now  becomes 
apparent.  In  one  word,  it  is  souls.  That  is 
the  great  aim  of  all  true  preaching.  He  who 
substitutes  any  other  aim  as  supreme  in 
preaching  has  degraded  the  calling.  L\anan 
Beeclier  was  once  asked  in  Ids  old  age  this 
question:  ''Doctor,  you  have  lived  a  long 
180 


PETER  AS  A  PREACHER. 

time  and  have  seen  much, and  learned  many 
things.  What  is  the  chief  thing T'  He  an- 
swered, *'It  is  not  theology,  it  is  not  contro- 
versy, it  is  saving  souls."  The  answer  is 
true.  Peter  had  that  conception,  and  God 
honored  him.  Where  is  the  preacher  who  has 
had  the  marvelous  results  Peter  had?  Three 
thousand  souls  were  converted  that  day! 
What  a  revival  it  was!  Jesus  had  said  to 
Peter,  **Upon  this  rock  I  build  My  Church." 
The  building  began  that  day  with  Peter  and 
his  three  thousand  souls  as  the  rock  of 
foundation  upon  which  the  Church  was  to  be 
built. 

Peter's  season  of  service  was  now  begun. 
He  was  now  a  fruit  gleaner  in  a  large  degree. 
In  the  Psalms  we  are  told  that  *'He  that 
goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  precious 
seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoic- 
ing, bringing  his  sheaves  with  him."  Peter 
on  that  dark  night  of  denial  went  forth  weep- 
ing bitterly,  carrying  with  him  the  seeds  of 
repentance.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost  he 
came  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing  his 
sheaves  with  him.  Surely  a  man  so  honored 
of  God  in  the  beginning  of  his  ministry  is  one 
of  whom  we  have  a  right  to  expect  great 
things.  181 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

PETER  AS  A  MIRACLE  WORKER. 

A  BUSY  and  exciting  day  was  Pentecost.  The 
gospel  sermon  of  Peter  was  followed  by  fears 
and  wonderings,  amidst  which  many  turned 
to  the  Lord.  The  baptism  of  these  new  con- 
verts followed.  Even  after  the  day  had 
ended  the  disciples  were  kept  busy  caring 
for  their  converts.  But  amid  their  busy 
times  and  remarkable  experiences  they  found 
time  to  worship.  As  the  Revised  Version 
has  it,  they  continued  *' steadfastly  with  one 
accord  in  the  temple  and  breaking  bread  at 
home."  This  fact  applies  not  only  to  the 
case  of  Peter,  but  to  the  other  disciples  as 
well.  All  were  busy  and  all  showed  the  true 
Christian  spirit  of  worship. 

The  record  states  that  some  time  after 
Pentecost,  the  exact  time  being  unknown, 
Peter  and  John  went  up  to  the  temple  at  the 
hour  of  prayer.  Peter  and  John!  Friends 
still !  The  varied  scenes  through  which  they 
had  passed  had  not  shaken  the  friendship  be- 
182 


PETER  AS  A  MIRACLE  WORKER. 

tween  these  two  opposite  characters.  John 
had  been  ashamed  of  Peter  when  he  blas- 
phemed and  denied  his  Master,  but  he  had 
remained  a  loyal  friend.  Now  he  was  proud 
of  the  Pentecostal  preacher.  It  is  pleasing 
to  note  here  a  friendship  that  can  outride 
all  the  changing  fortunes  and  accidents  of 
life.  In  all  the  earth  can  there  be  found  any- 
thing more  beautiful  than  a  friendship  of 
this  kind?  We  should  rejoice  to  see  such  an 
attachment  existing  between  Peter  and  John 
and  be  glad  to  meet  them  again  in  each 
other's  company.  Several  times  in  the  Gos- 
pels these  two  men  were  presented  to  us  as 
companions.  They  were  together  on  the 
Mount  of  Transfiguration,  at  the  raising  of 
the  daughter  of  Jairus,  and  in  the  garden  of 
Gethsemane  during  the  Lord's  agony.  It 
w^as  Peter  and  John  whom  the  Lord  sent  into 
the  city  to  make  ready  the  Passover.  It  was 
Peter  and  John  who  ran  the  footrace  to  the 
sepulcher  on  the  resurrection  morning.  And 
it  is  Peter  and  John  still  who  on  this  present 
occasion  go  up  to  the  temple  for  prayer. 

It  was  in  connection  with  this  visit  to  the 
temple  that  the  first  miracle  of  Peter  was 
performed.    To  understand  clearly  the  mir- 

183 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

acle,  it  will  be  necessary  to  notice  some  facts 
concerning  the  temple.  The  temple  in  ques- 
tion was  the  one  built  by  Herod  and  some- 
times called  the  third  temple.  The  first  one 
was  built  by  Solomon  in  the  golden  age  of 
Jewish  history.  The  second  one  was  built 
by  the  Jews  returning  from  their  captivity 
in  Babylon.  The  third  was  the  one  built  by 
Herod  the  Great.  This  temple  did  not  con- 
sist of  one  immense  building,  as  we  might 
imagine,  but  of  a  central  building,  or  temple 
proper,  surrounded  by  a  series  of  courts 
marked  off  by  terraces  and  walls.  The  tem- 
ple building  occupied  the  highest  point  of 
elevation,  and  from  it  the  terraces  sloped 
downward  forming  the  courts.  The  outer 
court,  or  the  one  the  farthest  from  the  temple, 
was  the  court  of  the  Gentiles.  It  was  so 
called  because  the  Gentiles  w^ere  allowed  to 
enter  it,  but  could  go  no  further.  Next  came 
the  court  of  the  women,  so  named  because 
the  women  might  enter  it,  but  could  approach 
no  nearer  the  temple.  Then  came  the  court 
of  the  Israelites,  into  which  the  males  of  the 
nation  might  enter,  and  next  to  this  came 
the  court  of  the  Priests,  which  immediately 
surrounded  the  temple  proper.    There  w^ere 

184 


PETER  AS  A  MIRACLE  WORKER. 

gates  openiug  successively  from  one  court  to 
another.  One  of  these  gates  was  commonly 
known  as  the  Gate  Beautiful.  Josephus  has 
a  description  of  one  of  the  temple  gates  which 
is  believed  to  be  the  Gate  Beautiful.  Ac- 
cording to  this  description  the  gate  was  un- 
usually beautiful.  It  was  of  Corinthian 
brass,  being  thus  more  excellent  than  those 
that  were  covered  with  silver  and  gold.  ' '  Its 
height  was  fifty  cubits  and  its  doors  were 
forty  cubits,  and  it  was  adorned  after  a  most 
costly  manner."  This  Beautiful  Gate  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  the  one  opening  from 
the  court  of  the  Gentiles  to  the  court  of  the 
w^omen.  By  this  gate,  on  their  way  to  the 
temple,  Peter  and  John  found  a  destitute 
beggar.  It  can  be  easily  seen  that  by  this 
gate  would  be  a  very  wise  place  for  the  beg- 
gar to  place  himself,  for  here  he  would  face 
all  classes  of  people.  The  Gentiles  would 
be  in  the  court  about  him,  and  the  women,  the 
Israelites,  and  the  priests  would  all  have  to 
pass  by  him  as  they  went  toward  the  inner 
courts. 

When  Peter  and  John  met  this  beggar 
they  found  a  case  of  unusual  helplessness. 
The  man  was  born  a  cripple.    We  suppose 

185 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

he  was  unable  to  walk  or  support  himself, 
because  he  was  laid  every  day  at  the  gate  by 
his  friends.  He  had  doubtless  followed  this 
profession  of  begging  for  many  years.  He 
was  a  man  past  forty  years  of  age,  and  had 
known  nothing  but  a  dependent  life  in  all 
that  time.  As  Peter  and  John  were  passing 
this  beggar  of  forty  years  asked  of  them  an 
alms.  He  asked  as  he  had  asked  of  hundreds 
of  others,  in  a  mechanical  way,  perhaps 
hardly  daring  to  hope  that  there  would  be 
a  favorable  reply.  Perhaps  he  expected  the 
two  men  to  pass  by  without  a  word.  But 
he  received  a  surprising  response.  The  two 
men  stopped  and,  facing  the  beggar,  Peter 
said,  "Look  on  us."  This  was  an  act  that 
aroused  expectation  within  the  breast  of  the 
poor  beggar.  The  account  says  he  looked, 
expecting  to  receive  something.  But  the 
next  sentence  of  Peter  must  have  dashed  all 
his  hopes  to  the  ground,  for  Peter  said,  ' '  Sil- 
ver and  gold  have  I  none."  How  the  counte- 
nance of  the  beggar  must  have  changed !  He 
must  have  thought  that  the  two  men  were 
mocking  him,  or  at  least  were  only  going  to 
speak  a  word  of  sympathy.  But  the  beggar 
wanted  more  than  sympathy.  SjTupathy  was 
186 


PETER  AS  A  MIRACLE  WORKER. 

a  good  thing,  but  it  would  not  buy  bread. 
The  beggar  wanted  money,  and  the  man 
Peter  had  said  he  had  none.  The  beggar  was 
disappointed  and  perhaps  in  his  heart  wish- 
ing that  the  men  would  pass  on,  when  Peter 
said,  "Such  as  I  have  give  I  thee."  What! 
Was  something  to  be  given  after  all?  The 
beggar  was  now  expectant  again.  What 
would  the  gift  be?  Would  it  be  a  coat,  a 
cloak,  or  a  sandal?  As  the  beggar  debated 
in  his  mind  what  the  gift  might  be,  Peter 
spake  again,  ''In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Nazareth,  rise  up  and  walk."  Then  the 
strong  hand  of  the  apostle  reached  forth  and 
grasped  the  helpless  hand  of  the  beggar.  A 
sensation  such  as  had  never  before  been  felt 
thrilled  every  muscle  of  the  crippled  form. 
The  glow  of  strength  and  energy  which  had 
not  been  felt  in  forty  years  leaped  through 
the  shriveled  body.  The  hand  that  touched 
the  beggar  lifted  him  up.  He  stood !  Those 
limbs  that  for  forty  years  had  been  helpless 
supported  him.  He  walked !  Not  a  step  had 
he  taken  in  all  those  years,  yet  he  walked. 
What  an  experience!  Little  wonder  he  was 
filled  with  gratitude  and  joy!  The  account 
says  the  poor  beggar  walked  with  Peter  and 
187 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Jolin  into  tlie  temple  leaping  and  praising 
God.  Like  a  child  who  leaps  and  shouts  be- 
cause of  some  newly  found  joy,  this  man 
manifested  his  gratitude  as  he  followed  his 
benefactors  into  the  place  of  worship.  Ho 
had  asked  for  an  alms.  He  had  received  a 
new  life. 

Historically  this  incident  is  interesting  as 
it  reveals  such  a  new  and  unusual  phase  of 
the  life  of  St.  Peter.  Peter  here  appears 
thoroughly  at  home  in  handling  supernatural 
forces.  As  a  miracle  worker  he  appears  quite 
different  from  his  former  weak  and  vacil- 
lating self.  We  are  reminded  again  that 
Pentecost  has  come  in  the  meantime  and 
Peter  is  a  new  creature.  But  this  incident 
has  its  spiritual  and  practical  signijficance  as 
well  as  the  historical.  Among  its  many  les- 
sons we  may  name  the  foUomng: 

First,  it  is  not  necessary  for  men  to  lie 
helpless  at  misfortune's  door.  There  is  a 
divine  help  which  may  be  claimed  and  which 
w^ill  furnish  relief  from  much  of  the  misfor- 
tune of  life.  The  sufferings  and  sorrows  of 
men  are  augmented  by  two  common  defects 
which  are  observable  in  the  case  of  this  beg- 
gar.   These  defects  are,  ignorance  of  possi- 

188 


PETER  AS  A  MIRACLE  WORKER. 

bilities  and  the  littleness  of  our  requests  of 
God. 

The  beggar  failed  to  realize  his  possi- 
bilities. He  did  not  understand  that  before 
him  were  representatives  of  divine  power 
who  were  able  to  remove  all  his  distress.  It 
is  too  often  true  that  men  fail  to  realize  the 
power  that  is  around  them  and  ready  to  serve 
them.  The  fact  of  God's  abiding  presence 
is  not  felt  in  its  full  force.  The  Master  said 
that  He  would  send  the  Holy  Spirit  and  that 
He  would  abide  with  us  forever.  The  spir- 
itual Christ  as  our  Burden-bearer,  as  our 
Light,  our  Guide  and  Wisdom,  is  ever  before 
us,  and  yet  we  live  as  if  in  ignorance  of  the 
fact.  Much  of  the  distress  and  burden- 
bearing  of  our  lives  would  be  relieved  if  we 
M^ould  only  appreciate  and  appropriate  the 
comfort  and  power  of  the  ever-present 
Christ. 

The  littleness  of  the  beggar's  request  is 
suggestive  of  the  same  defect  in  many  Chris- 
tian lives.  The  beggar  asked  for  alms  only, 
while  a  new  life  was  waiting  for  him.  The 
Christian  often  asks  of  God  in  the  spirit  of 
the  beggar,  expecting  something  small — if 
anything  at  all.    Too  often  we  feel  that  if 

189 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

God  will  only  pardon  our  sins  and  hold  us 
in  His  Kingdom  until  we  die,  and  then  let 
us  slip  quietly  into  the  eternal  city,  we  will 
be  satisfied.  We  want  nothing  better.  And 
yet  God  has  better  things  in  store  for  His 
children.  He  wants  to  bestow  upon  them  His 
riches.  He  wants  them  to  be  not  only  for- 
given, but  joyful  in  His  presence  and  useful 
in  His  service.  He  wants  human  lives  to 
abound  in  spiritual  blessings  and  in  useful- 
ness. He  wants  His  children  to  ask  largely, 
putting  Him  to  the  test,  and  His  promise  is 
that  He  will  open  the  windows  of  heaven 
and  pour  out  such  a  blessing  that  there  shall 
not  be  room  to  contain  it.  With  such  a  God 
as  ours,  and  with  such  a  promise  before  us, 
we  ought  not  to  fear  to  ask  largely,  nor  fail 
to  expect  much. 

Second,  money  does  not  constitute  the 
highest  riches.  Peter  said,  *' Silver  and  gold 
have  I  none."  He  was  poor  in  purse,  but  he 
was  richer  than  a  millionaire.  He  had  riches 
of  a  kind  not  to  be  measured  by  silver  and 
gold.  Let  it  never  be  forgotten  that  the 
wealth  that  is  the  most  valuable  is  spiritual 
and  eternal.  It  is  the  wealth  that  produces 
character  here  and  a  blessed  destiny  here- 
190 


PETER  AS  A  MIRACLE  WORKER. 

after.  It  is  the  wealth  that  enriches  the  soul. 
Jesus  had  these  respective  values  in  mind 
when  He  said,  ''What  shall  it  profit  a  man 
if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his 
own  soul?"  One  may  possess  all  the  silver 
and  gold  of  the  earth,  but  if  he  has  not  the 
spiritual  wealth  that  makes  the  soul  beauti- 
ful here  and  safe  hereafter,  he  is  as  poor  as 
a  beggar.  The  time  will  come  when  the  man 
who  has  spent  all  his  time  in  getting  money 
will  realize  its  vanity  and  be  willing  to  ex- 
change his  wealth  for  what  Peter  possessed 
at  the  Beautiful  Gate.  Here  is  one  of  the 
most  foolish  mistakes  of  mankind.  Men 
neglect  their  own  development  and  the  in- 
terests of  their  homes,  forget  God  and  spend 
their  energies  and  time  in  a  wild  rush  for 
wealth,  and  when  the  time  comes  for  passing 
into  another  world  they  discover  with  sad- 
ness how  poverty-stricken  they  are.  It  is 
better  to  be  poverty-stricken  in  silver  and 
gold,  and  rich  in  eternal  wealth,  than  to  be 
poverty-stricken  in  eternal  wealth  and  rich  in 
silver  and  gold.  To  the  Church  at  Smyrna 
the  Spirit  said, ' '  I  know  thy  poverty,  but  thou 
art  rich. ' '  Of  many  so-called  poor  to-day  the 
Lord  can  say,  ' '  I  know  thy  poverty,  but  thou 
191 


THE  EXALTED  FISHEEMxVN. 

art  rich,"  for  while  they  have  little  silver  or 
gold,  they  are  rich  in  spiritual  things. 

Third,  our  duty  to  the  world  is  measured 
by  what  we  have  to  give.  Peter  said,  '  *  Such 
as  I  have  give  I  thee. "  It  is  our  duty  to  give 
to  the  world.  Giving  in  the  sense  of  charity 
is  not  here  meant.  Nor  does  this  incident 
teach  the  duty  of  giving  in  the  sense  of  char- 
ity. It  is  more  of  a  rebuke  to  our  promiscu- 
ous giving  than  anything  else.  It  implies 
that  there  is  something  better  to  give  than 
money  or  clothes.  It  teaches  that  it  is  better 
to  give  a  needy  man  a  chance  to  make  a  man 
of  himself  and  enter  into  a  life  where  he 
doesn't  need  to  beg.  The  duty  of  society 
is  to  give  every  able  man  such  an  oppor- 
tunity to  labor  that  there  will  be  no  occasion 
for  begging.  Our  duty  individually  is  to  con- 
tribute to  the  betterment  of  the  world,  yet 
not  in  the  money  sense.  How  then?  As  we 
can.  Like  Peter,  we  are  to  give  such  as  we 
have.  The  abilities  of  all  men  are  not  the 
same,  hence  all  men  are  not  expected  to 
benefit  the  world  in  the  same  degree  or  the 
same  way.  Let  no  one  worry  because  he  has 
not  as  much  of  brain  or  talent  to  give  as  has 
192 


PETER  AS  A  MIRACLE  WORKER. 

another,  but  let  him  give  freely  of  such  as 
he  has. 

Lest  these  statements  seem  a  little  vague, 
let  us  be  more  specific.  Every  one,  regard- 
less of  financial  or  intellectual  ability,  can 
make  the  world  better  by  giving  these  things : 

1.  Kindly  consideration  for  others.  Ap- 
preciate the  discouragements  and  struggles 
of  others,  and  lighten  them  as  much  as  pos- 
sible by  a  friendship  that  is  kind.  Do  not 
ignore  or  despise  or  provoke,  but  rather  re- 
veal a  considerate  spirit.  Ian  MacLaren 
once  said:  *'Be  kind.  Every  man  is  fight- 
ing a  hard  battle."  It  is  true.  There  are 
in  the  lives  of  all  burdens  and  sorrows  that 
are  unseen,  and  this  fact  makes  it  all  the 
more  needful  that  every  man  display  a  spirit 
of  consideration.    Be  kind. 

2.  An  influence  for  righteousness.  Every 
life  helps  to  tilt  the  balance  toward  right- 
eousness or  unrighteousness.  When  your  in- 
fluence is  thrown  with  the  right,  you  are 
doing  the  world  a  real  service.  If  it  is  thrown 
on  the  side  of  wrong,  you  are  a  real  enemy  to 
the  world's  best  interests.  Every  life  is 
counting  one  way  or  the  other.    Even  though 

«  193 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

the  influence  may  seem  to  be  small,  it  can  be 
thrown  on  the  side  of  right.  Thus  every  life 
may  give  something  to  the  world  which  is 
worth  while. 

3.  A  consistent  Christian  profession.  A 
powerful  contribution  to  the  world's  good 
and  to  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  a  consistent 
Christian  life.  Godly  living  draws  more  men 
toward  the  Kingdom  of  God  than  good 
preaching.  You  may  not  be  rich,  wise,  or 
eloquent,  but  if  you  are  consistent  in  your 
Christian  profession  you  are  making  a  con- 
tribution to  the  world  that  may  send  the 
thrill  of  a  new  life  leaping  through  some  sin- 
crippled  soul.  Every  individual  can  contrib- 
ute a  holy  life  to  the  world — and  God  asks 
nothing  better.  With  these  opportunities 
before  each  life,  no  one  has  a  right  to  com- 
plain or  become  despondent.  Better  would 
it  be  to  say  with  Peter,  * '  Such  as  I  have  give 
I  thee." 

This  was  Peter's  first  miracle.  Yet  it 
was  not  Peter's  miracle.  It  was  Christ's 
miracle  worked  through  him.  There  are 
some  facts  connected  with  it  which  should 
not  be  overlooked. 

Peter's  faith  was  the  cause  of  it.  He  him- 
194 


PETER  AS  A  MIRACLE  WORKER. 

self  explained  to  the  people  that  it  was 
through  faith  in  the  name  of  Jesus  that  the 
man  was  made  whole.    (Acts  3: 16.) 

Christ's  power  was  the  agency.  Peter 
disclaimed  any  credit  for  the  miracle,  but 
asserted  that  it  was  done  through  the  power 
of  Jesus  Christ.     (Acts  3:12,  13.) 

Man's  health  was  the  result.  The  help- 
less man  was  made  whole.  In  these  three 
facts  we  see  the  divine  process  illustrated. 
Man's  faith  secures  God's  power,  and  God's 
power  secures  man's  health. 


1.95 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

PETER  PERSECUTED. 

The  men  who  bring  things  to  pass  are  the 
men  who  usually  receive  the  severest  oppo- 
sition. The  man  who  is  merely  negative  and 
never  lets  the  world  feel  his  presence  is  not 
apt  to  make  many  enemies  or  receive  much 
criticism.  But  the  man  who  is  positive  and 
aggressive,  and  who  makes  things  move,  will 
before  long  become  the  target  for  the  oppos- 
ing shafts  of  some  one.  The  fact  that  people 
oppose  and  condemn  us  may  be  an  evidence 
that  we  are  making  ourselves  felt  in  the 
world.  While  such  opposition  may  not  be 
conclusive  evidence  of  our  importance,  it  yet 
has  the  consoling  value  of  being  suggestive 
of  it.  People  never  try  to  muzzle  a  dead  dog. 
Hence  it  follows  that  the  men  who  are 
aggressive  in  doing  good  often  have  to  suffer 
for  their  efforts.  Moses  was  very  much  pro- 
voked when  he  saw  an  Egj^^tian  smiting  a 
Hebrew  slave,  and  he  resented  the  insult  by 
smiting  the  Egyptian,  and  in  that  act  he 
196 


PETER  PERSECUTED. 

struck  one  of  the  earliest  blows  in  behalf  of 
human  liberty.  But  Mosee  had  to  suffer  a 
long  exile  because  of  his  aggressiveness. 
Socrates  was  a  faithful  servant  of  the  right. 
He  attempted  to  elevate  the  lives  of  the 
Athenian  youth  in  his  day  and  prepare  them 
for  an  immortal  existence  in  the  world  to 
come.  But  he  had  to  drink  the  poisonous 
hemlock  and  die  for  his  trouble.  Telemachus 
shuddered  at  the  inhumanity  of  the  gladia- 
torial contests  and  determined  to  stop  them. 
But  his  effort  toward  reform  cost  him  his 
life.  William  Lloyd  Garrison  would  remove 
from  his  land  the  stain  of  human  slavery, 
but  he  had  to  pay  the  price  of  violence  at 
the  hands  of  the  mob.  The  man  to-day  who 
would  aggressively  oppose  evils  in  the  form 
of  intemperance,  corrupt  social  order,  or  un- 
clean politics  will  likely  meet  the  fate  of  seri- 
ous opposition.  It  costs  something  to  do  the 
right. 

Peter  was  no  exception  to  this  rule.  He 
gave  strength  and  health  to  a  helpless  mortal 
who  had  not  walked  for  forty  years,  as  we 
saw  in  the  last  study.  The  poor  man  leaped 
with  joy  because  of  his  recovery  and  sang 
the  praises  of  Ms  benefactor.    The  whole  city 

197 


THE  EX.VLTED  FISHERMAN. 

of  Jerusalem  ought  to  have  rejoiced  with  him. 
There  were  present,  however,  men  who  were 
so  evil  of  heart  that  they  were  much  grieved 
because  of  the  miracle  of  healing.  They  de- 
termined that  the  man  who  had  done  the 
kindly  service  should  suffer  for  it.  They 
therefore  began  a  studied  persecution  of 
Peter  and  John.  There  are  three  parties 
named  as  taking  part  in  the  persecution. 

The  first  party  was  composed  of  the 
priests,  who  were  the  religious  leaders  of  the 
Jews  and  who  ought  to  have  rejoiced  in  any 
benefit  brought  to  a  suffering  mortal.  But 
in  this  case  they  opposed  Peter  and  John 
largely  because  of  jealousy.  They  were  sore 
troubled  because  these  apostles  were  them- 
selves assuming  to  be  religious  teachers  and 
were  acquiring  considerable  influence.  The 
priests  assumed  to  have  a  monopoly  upon 
the  right  to  give  religious  instruction,  and 
were  unwilling  to  have  the  assumed  right 
interfered  with.  Hence  they  led  the  oppo- 
sition. 

The  second  party  was  the  captain  of  the 

temple.     Evidently  this  ofiicer  was  not  the 

captain  of  the  Roman  soldiers  stationed  in 

the  tower  of  Antonio,  adjoining  the  temple, 

198 


PETER  PERSECUTED. 

but  was  rather  the  captain  of  the  Jewish 
guard  of  the  temple.  This  officer  would  be 
himself  of  the  line  of  the  priests  and,  there- 
fore, would  be  in  sympathy  with  them.  He 
would  also  want  to  quell  any  possible  dis- 
turbance about  the  temple,  and  since  Peter 
and  John  furnished  the  opportunity  for  some 
unusual  confusion  he  would  be  opposed  to 
them. 

The  third  party  was  the  Sadducees,  who 
were  opposed  to  the  doctrine  of  the  resur- 
rection, and  were  grieved  at  Peter  and  John 
because  they  taught  *' through  Jesus  the 
resurrection  from  the  dead."  For  this 
reason  they  were  ready  to  join  the  other 
parties  in  the  opposition. 

The  enemies,  therefore,  were  many  and 
the  opposition  was  strong.  The  result  was 
that  Peter  and  John  were  arrested  and  placed 
in  confinement  over  night  inasmuch  as  the 
arrest  occurred  late  in  the  evening.  Think 
of  it!  Arrested  and  imprisoned  for  aiding 
a  suffering  man  and  teaching  the  way  of 
eternal  life!  From  the  temple  where  they 
had  gone  to  worship  these  apostles  were  led 
as  criminals.  They  were  led  to  a  prison  cell 
somewhere  in  the  city,  the  exact  place  being 
199 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

unknown.  An  officer 's  hand  thrust  them  into 
the  prison;  an  officer's  hand  closed  and  locked 
the  door  upon  them,  and  they  were  left  alone 
with  the  silence  and  the  night. 

The  disciples  were  imprisoned,  but  their 
enemies  could  not  check  the  influence  of  the 
work  they  had  done.  That  influence  moved 
steadily  on.  The  interesting  statement  is 
made  that  many  that  heard  the  Word  be- 
lieved, ''and  the  number  of  the  men  came  to 
be  about  five  thousand."  They  could  lay 
hands  on  the  preacher,  but  they  could  not 
stop  his  work.  You  can  destroy  the  cannon 
after  the  shot  is  fired,  but  you  can  not  call 
back  the  ball  as  it  speeds  on  its  way.  You 
may  destroy  the  instrument  after  the  mes- 
sage is  sent,  but  you  can  not  call  back  the 
message  as  it  leaps  with  lightning  speed  to 
its  destination.  You  may  put  the  preacher  in 
bonds,  but  you  can  not  check  the  influence  of 
his  work.  Like  the  white  horse  of  Gustavus 
Adolphus  II,  of  Sweden,  which  dashed  over 
the  battlefield  of  Lutzen  long  after  the  rider 
had  fallen  from  the  saddle,  the  truth  which 
men  speak  and  the  influence  of  their  lives 
moves  on  and  on  long  after  they  have  fallen 
from  the  fight.  So  was  it  in  the  case  of 
200 


PETER  PERSECUTED. 

Peter.  The  workman  had  fallen  for  a  mo- 
ment, but  the  work  moved  on. 

"When  the  night  of  confinement  in  the  un- 
known prison  had  passed  and  the  morning 
had  come,  Peter  and  John  were  brought  forth 
for  trial.  The  account  says  that  the  rulers 
and  elders  and  scribes  were  gathered  to- 
gether in  Jerusalem.  The  statement  refers 
to  the  meeting  of  the  Sanhedrin,  which  was 
in  reality  the  supreme  court  of  the  Jewish 
people.  The  Sanhedrin  had  authority  to  pass 
upon  all  cases,  both  civil  and  religious.  It 
had  the  power  to  pass  any  sentence,  even  the 
sentence  of  death.  But  there  its  power 
ended.  It  did  not  have  the  power  to  execute 
the  death  sentence,  inasmuch  as  the  Roman 
Government  reserved  for  itself  that  right. 
Hence,  while  the  Sanhedrin  could  condemn, 
it  could  not  kill. 

This  court  desired  to  establish  the  charge 
of  heresy  against  Peter  and  John.  Hence 
the  question  was  put  to  them,  ''By  what 
power  or  by  what  name  have  ye  done  this  ? ' ' 
Their  expectation  and  desire  was  that  Peter 
and  John  would  answer  that  it  was  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  that  the  man  had 
been  healed,  and  on  the  strength  of  that  as- 
201 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

sertion  they  intended  to  make  the  charge  of 
heresy.  But  the  answer  was  given  with  such 
boldness  and  so  much  more  completely  that 
they  were  somewhat  confused.  Peter  replied 
not  only  that  the  work  was  done  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  but  also  added, ' '  Whom 
ye  crucified"  and  ''whom  God  raised  from 
the  dead. ' '  Here  was  not  only  heresy  in  the 
eyes  of  the  Sanhedrin,  but  a  charge  against 
them  of  murder,  and  an  assertion  of  the 
hated  doctrine  of  the  resurrection.  There 
was  such  a  display  of  boldness  that  they  were 
astonished.  And  yet  the  evidence  was  all  on 
the  side  of  Peter  and  John.  There  stood  the 
healed  man.  They  could  not  deny  the  fact 
that  he  had  been  healed.  If  the  healing  had 
not  been  done  by  the  power  of  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth, they  could  not  explain  how  it  had  been 
done.  Public  sjmipathy  was  aroused  for  the 
disciples.  The  members  of  the  Sanhedrin 
were  in  an  embarrassing  condition.  They 
could  not  undo  what  had  been  done.  Since 
Peter  and  John  were  so  bold,  they  feared  to 
take  any  new  steps  lest  they  might  make  mat- 
ters worse  for  themselves  and  better  for 
Peter  and  John.  They  finally  concluded  that 
the  quietest  way  out  of  the  difficulty  was  the 
202 


PETER  PERSECUTED. 

best.  So  after  a  few  moments  of  private  con- 
sultation, the  Sanhedrin  decided  that  the  best 
thing  to  do  would  be  to  exact  from  Peter 
and  John  a  promise  that  they  would  not  teach 
or  heal  in  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
and  grant  them  their  liberty  upon  that  con- 
dition. But  the  Sanhedrin  little  knew  the 
mettle  of  the  men  with  whom  it  was  dealing. 
When  the  apostles  were  charged  to  observe 
silence,  Peter  again  manifested  his  boldness 
by  replying,  *'We  can  not  but  speak  of  the 
things  which  we  have  seen  and  heard." 
Again  the  plans  of  the  Sanhedrin  were  de- 
feated. But  though  they  were  desperate, 
they  were  shrewd.  They  had  judgment 
enough  to  see  that  their  case  was  hopeless 
inasmuch  as  the  people  were  with  the 
apostles,  and  ''glorified  God  for  that  which 
was  done."  There  was  but  one  resort  left 
for  the  Sanhedrin — a  resort  which  is  often 
sought  by  those  whose  cause  is  weak — a 
threat.  So  they  threatened  Peter  and  John, 
and  let  them  go. 

In  this  incident  there  are  some  phases  of 
Peter's  changed  character  which  stand  out 
prominently.  Notice  his  boldness  as  con- 
trasted with  his  former  cowardice.    It  took 

203 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

a  high  degree  of  boldness  to  stand  before  an 
assembly  such  as  Peter  faced  and  speak  as 
he  did,  a  charge  of  murder  against  them.  If 
we  seek  the  source  of  the  boldness  we  mil 
find  it  suggested  in  that  verse  which  says 
that  Peter  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 
(Acts  4:8.)  This  w^as  the  secret  of  his  bold- 
ness and  power.  It  was  not  Peter  speaking 
after  all.  It  was  the  Holy  Ghost  speaking 
through  Peter.  A  great  divine  has  well  ex- 
pressed it  by  saj-ing  it  was  "Peter  multiplied 
by  Deity."  No  one  can  measure  the  power 
of  a  life  filled  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  It  is  per- 
sonality multiplied  by  divinity.  The  real 
strength  of  any  Church  or  individual  depends 
upon  that  one  thing,  the  filling  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Possess  that  and  no  one  can  prophesy 
to  what  lengths  the  influence  of  Christian 
work  may  go. 

The  effect  of  Peter's  boldness  is  made 
prominent  here.  Those  who  observed  him 
took  knowledge  of  him  that  he  had  been  with 
Jesus.  Association  with  the  Master  left  its 
stamp  upon  these  apostles.  Companionship 
with  Jesus  produces  its  marked  effects.  It 
stamps  the  life.  One  of  the  best  compliments 
that  can  be  paid  a  follower  of  the  Master  is 
204 


PETER  PERSECUTED. 

to  say  of  him  that  his  life  shows  that  he  has 
been  in  fellowship  with  Jesus  and  has  learned 
of  Him. 

A  new  criterion  for  Peter's  life  is  also 
revealed  in  this  incident.  A  new  measure  of 
his  conduct  is  revealed  in  the  expression, 
"Whether  it  be  right."  Prior  to  Pentecost 
Peter  had  acted  from  impulse  and  desire. 
Now  he  acted  from  a  conviction  of  what  was 
right.  The  sublimest  criterion  for  a  man's 
life  is  this  adopted  by  Peter,  * '  Whether  it  be 
right."  The  ordinary  standards  are  much 
lower  than  that.  We  often  make  pleasure 
the  measure  of  action.  If  a  certain  act  will 
bring  us  personal  enjoyment,  we  will  per- 
form it.  If  not,  Ave  will  leave  it  undone. 
Sometimes  the  question,  Is  it  popular?  con- 
trols our  conduct.  If  a  certain  course  will 
meet  the  approval  of  the  popular  crowd  we 
will  follow  it.  If  it  would  receive  the  dis- 
approval of  the  multitude,  we  leave  it  un- 
touched. The  question  of  what  is  right  has 
too  small  a  place  in  our  lives.  Or  again,  we 
are  swayed  in  these  days  by  the  considera- 
tion, "Is  it  profitable?"  If  there  is  money 
in  it,  we  will  act.  If  there  is  a  possibility  of 
loss,  we  will  refrain,  however  right  and  just 

205 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

the  cause  may  be.  Let  it  be  noted,  however, 
that  Peter  never  asked  what  was  pleasant, 
popular,  or  profitable.  His  sole  aim  was  to 
know  what  was  right.  Knowing  the  right,  he 
was  ready  to  do  it,  regardless  of  cost. 

We  notice  here  also  the  fire  of  conviction 
in  the  character  of  Peter.  As  spokesman  for 
John  and  himself,  he  said,  ''We  can  not  but 
speak."  Convictions  must  be  expressed. 
Peter  now  belonged  to  the  class  of  men  who 
must  speak  their  convictions  though  death 
be  the  result.  0,  for  more  men  of  that  type ! 
These  are  the  kind  of  men  who  move  the 
world.  ''We  must  speak,"  said  Peter. 
"Threaten  us  if  you  mil.  Put  us  in  prison 
if  you  want.  Lead  us  to  the  cross  if  you 
must.  But  we  must  speak  the  truth  that 
burns  within  us."  That  truth  in  Peter's 
thought  was  so  vital  and  so  urgent  that  it 
must  find  expression  at  all  hazards.  History 
shows  that  those  men  who  have  been  a  bene- 
diction to  the  world  are  the  men  who  have 
been  set  aflame  by  their  convictions.  Wil- 
liam Lloyd  Garrison  felt  the  burning  of  con- 
viction when  he  said,  "I  will  not  excuse,  I 
will  not  equivocate,  I  will  not  retract  a  single 
inch,  and  I  will  be  heard."    He,  like  Peter, 

206 


PETER  PERSECUTED. 

must  be  heard.  And  the  burning  truth  he 
uttered  helped  to  remove  from  our  history 
the  blot  of  human  slavery.  In  the  religious 
world  we  need  that  fire  of  truth,  that  kind  of 
conviction.  The  Kingdom  would  be  more 
advanced  if  we  had  more  of  that  brand  of 
men  whose  minds  and  hearts  are  so  full  of 
the  gospel  truth  that  they  must  speak  what 
they  have  seen  and  heard  and  felt. 

Contrast  the  practice  of  many  lives  in  the 
Church  to-day  with  the  example  of  Peter  here 
given.  Peter  must  speak.  He  could  not  keep 
still.  He  bubbled  over.  But  some  people  to- 
day have  to  be  pleaded  with,  coaxed  and  per- 
suaded before  they  speak  a  word  of  religious 
truth  or  experience.  Some  people  can  sit  all 
through  a  praise  service  and  instead  of  feel- 
ing that  it  is  their  duty  to  speak,  seem  to  feel 
that  duty  lies  in  keeping  silence.  It  ought 
not  so  to  be.  The  Church  needs  badly  the 
spirit  of  Peter.  It  needs  the  spirit  that  will 
make  her  membership  bold  in  utterance,  right 
in  standards  of  living,  and  enthusiastic  in 
the  expression  of  convictions. 

This  event,  then,  furnishes  another  evi- 
dence of  the  radical  change  that  was  wrought 
in  Peter  j  a  change  that  made  it  possible  for 

207 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

him  to  strengthen  his  brethren  even  as  Jesus 
had  instructed.  The  strength  of  the  testi- 
mony to  the  change  as  found  in  this  incident 
lies  in  the  fact  that  here  Peter  was  tested  at 
a  weak  point  where  formerly  he  had  failed. 
It  was  at  the  point  of  ability  to  stand  in  the  \ 
face  of  suffering  and  persecution.  Peter  for- 
merly stood  well  enough  until  he  came  to  the 
danger  of  having  to  suffer  for  his  loyalty 
to  Jesus.  There  he  failed.  Now,  however,  he 
is  willing  to  face  suffering,  and  even  death  if 
need  be.  He  is  a  new  man  ready  for  a  larger 
service. 

In  this  changed  life  we  see  a  pledge  of 
what  is  possible  in  every  life.  Old  sins,  old 
weaknesses,  old  defects  may  pass  away  and 
all  things  become  new.  The  great  Pompey 
once  boasted  that  mth  a  stamp  of  his  foot 
he  could  call  all  Italy  to  arms.  It  was  a 
mighty  boast.  But  our  God  without  boast 
does  a  mightier  thing.  He  sendeth  forth  His 
word  and  a  new  life  is  called  into  existence; 
a  transformed  life  without  sin  and  condemna- 
tion, but  full  of  truth  and  power.  The  cow- 
ard becomes  the  hero,  and  the  sinner  becomes 
the  saint.  Such  a  changed  life  is  the  pos- 
sible heritage  of  every  soul. 
208 


CHAPTER  XV. 

PETER  GOD'S  EXECUTIONER. 

One  of  the  clearest  evidences  of  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Christ  spirit  is  the  absence  of 
selfishness.  The  more  of  the  Christ  spirit 
one  possesses,  the  more  unselfish  he  becomes. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  to  what  a  large  de- 
gree this  spirit  of  unselfishness  was  pos- 
sessed by  the  early  Christians,  and  how  it 
was  manifested.  In  Acts  (4:32)  we  find 
these  remarkable  words,  **And  not  one  said 
that  aught  of  the  things  he  possessed  was  his 
own."  (R.  V.)  Those  early  disciples  seemed 
to  feel  that  when  they  became  Christians  they 
entered  a  community  of  brothers  where  all 
were  in  a  sense  equal,  and  where  self-interest 
and  self-possessions  were  lost.  What  belonged 
to  one  seemed  to  belong  to  all.  They  were 
of  one  heart,  one  soul,  and  one  property.  The 
most  striking  evidence  of  this  unselfish  spirit 
was  the  surrender  of  personal  property  to  be 
the  property  of  all.  Such  as  were  possessed 
of  houses  and  lands,  sold  them  and  brought 
209 


THE  EXALTED  FISHEEMAN. 

the  price  of  the  sale  and  laid  it  in  money  at 
the  apostles'  feet.  It  must  have  been  a 
strange  sight  to  behold  men  and  women  who 
had  struggled  perhaps  for  years  for  the  ac- 
cumulation of  property,  sell  out  that  prop- 
erty and,  instead  of  using  the  money  for 
traveling,  or  buying  a  summer  home,  or  in- 
vesting it  where  it  would  bring  a  large  rate 
of  interest,  surrender  it  all  into  a  common 
fund,  from  which  the  needs  of  all  were  to  be 
satisfied.  Yet  such  a  practice  seems  to  have 
been  common,  and  w^as  probably  frequently 
witnessed  among  the  believers,  who  came 
soon  to  number  about  five  thousand.  Here 
was  a  company  of  men  and  women  five  thou- 
sand strong  in  which  there  was  no  struggle 
one  against  the  other  for  bread.  There  was 
no  conflict  of  the  weak  against  the  strong. 
There  was  no  competition  by  which  one  man 
struggled  to  outclass  his  neighbor.  There 
was  no  exalting  of  some  in  luxury  while 
others  remained  in  poverty.  They  had  all 
things  common.  But  the  remarkable  thing 
about  that  communism  was  that  it  was  en- 
tirely voluntary.  There  is  no  reference  made 
in  the  ancient  records  of  any  apostolic  re- 
quirement to  sell  all  personal  property  and 
210 


PETER  GOD'S  EXECUTIONER. 

create  a  common  fund.  It  is  true  that  Jesus 
said  to  the  rich  young  ruler  that  he  should 
sell  all  that  he  had  and  give  to  the  poor.  Yet 
that  was  a  specific  requirement  to  meet  a 
specific  need,  and  was  never  cited  by  the 
disciples  as  an  instruction  to  be  universally 
followed.  We  rob  this  early  Christian  com- 
munism of  its  beauty  if  we  consider  it  any- 
thing other  than  voluntary.  Indeed,  Peter 
implies  that  it  was  entirely  a  voluntary  mat- 
ter when  he  says  to  Ananias,  ''While  it  re- 
mained was  it  not  thy  own?  And  after  it 
was  sold,  was  it  not  in  thy  power  ? ' '  He  thus 
implies  that  it  was  within  the  power  and 
right  of  Ananias  to  do  with  his  property  as 
he  might  choose.  He  was  not  obliged  to  offer 
it  to  the  common  fund.  Hence  this  com- 
munism was  just  a  spontaneous  expression 
of  the  brotherly  love  that  filled  the  hearts  of 
the  early  Christians  when  they  received  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Self-love  died.  They  lived  for 
and  loved  others.  It  was  natural  that  they 
should  express  their  love  in  some  way,  hence 
they  sold  out  personal  interests  and  gave  to 
the  common  good.  In  a  word,  interest  in  the 
brotherhood  predominated  over  interest  in 
self. 

211 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

There  have  been  those  who  assert  that 
this  communistic  band  was  a  type  of  what 
Christian  society  should  be,  and  efforts  have 
been  made  to  form  commonwealths  on  such 
a  basis.  Whatever  our  opinions  may  be  con- 
cerning such  attempts,  or  concerning  com- 
munism itself,  we  must  all  confess  that  the 
original  Christian  spirit  was  communistic. 
Unselfishness  and  brotherly  love  reigned  su- 
preme. And  we  must  also  confess  that  this 
same  spirit  must  predominate  when  the 
Kingdom  of  God  comes  upon  earth.  Chris- 
tian communism  is  one  of  the  things  of  which 
Jesus  said,  "Ye  can  not  bear  them  now," 
and  yet  it  is  not  a  wild  speculation  to  sup- 
pose that  it  will  come  in  the  course  of  time. 
The  ills  of  society  to-day  are  caused  largely 
by  man  placing  his  finger  on  a  certain  object 
and  saying  to  his  fellow-man,  ''Hands  off, 
this  is  mine."  Let  us  hope  that  the  time 
will  come  some  day  when  **mine"  will  be 
changed  to  ''ours"  and  men  in  society  will 
say,  "This  is  ours — and  God's." 

There  is  one  striking  example  given  of 
a  man  who  sold  out  all  he  had  and  gave  the 
proceeds  to  the  common  fund.  It  was  Barna- 
bas,  who    afterward   became    the    traveling 

212 


PETER  GOD'S  EXECUTIONER. 

companion  of  Paul.  Barnabas  was  probably 
a  large  land  owner,  and  seems  to  have  been 
a  man  of  considerable  influence  because  of 
Ills  wealth.  Yet  all  that  he  had  he  sold  and 
laid  the  price  of  the  sale  at  the  feet  of  the 
apostles.  As  we  are  delighted  to-day  when 
a  rich  man  gives  a  large  sum  of  money  for 
a  college  or  a  Church  or  to  found  a  library, 
so  the  early  Christians  were  delighted  with 
the  gift  of  Barnabas.  His  fame  spread 
abroad,  and  everybody  was  talking  of  his 
magnificent  sacrifice  and  the  pure  Christian 
love  that  prompted  it.  It  is  easy  to  see  that 
there  might  be  some  people  who  were  a  little 
envious  of  Barnabas,  and  who  wished  that 
they  might  be  as  favorably  spoken  of  as  he. 
Such  a  feeling  may  have  possessed  Ananias. 
He  saw  how  Barnabas  was  adored,  and  per- 
haps craved  a  little  of  the  esteem  for  himself. 
Love  of  popularity  often  carries  men  to  an 
unreasonable  extreme.  Ananias  went  to  an 
extreme.  Perhaps  he  reasoned  that  since  the 
selling  of  property  and  giving  of  the  pro- 
ceeds to  a  common  fund  had  made  Barnabas 
popular,  a  similar  act  on  his  part  would  ac- 
complish for  him  the  same  result.  Then  the 
possibility  suggested  itself  to  him  of  selling 

213 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

his  property  and  turning  over  to  the  apostles 
only  a  part  of  the  proceeds,  making  them 
believe  that  the  full  price  had  been  surren- 
dered. The  apostles  would  never  be  the 
wiser,  he  thought,  and  his  fame  would  be  just 
as  great,  perhaps,  as  if  he  should  give  over 
the  entire  amount.  Thoughts  like  these 
doubtless  went  through  the  mind  of  Ananias, 
and  as  a  result  he  planned  his  lie  against  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Before  carrying  out  his  plan, 
however,  he  let  his  wife  into  his  secret,  and 
together  they  decided  to  sell  out  and  turn 
over  a  part  of  the  money,  yet  leaving  the  im- 
pression that  the  whole  amount  was  being 
given  up.  It  is  important  to  notice  the  motive 
which  seemed  to  be  back  of  this  action.  The 
sale  was  not  prompted  by  love  for  others  or 
for  God,  but  rather  by  a  desire  to  appear 
Christian  and  stand  in  favor  with  the  people. 
They  would  appear  Christian  when  in  reality 
they  were  at  heart  selfish  and  worldly.  It 
was  an  act  of  hypocrisy.  Their  evil  scheme 
was  carried  out  as  planned.  The  land  was 
sold  and,  likely  with  some  parade,  the  money 
was  brought  and  laid  before  the  apostles  and 
the  people  given  to  understand  that  the  full 
amount  had  been  surrendered. 

214 


PETER  GOD'S  EXECUTIONER. 

The  result  of  the  act  was  not  what  was 
expected.  God  can  not  be  deceived.  Neither 
could  Peter,  who  was  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  be  deceived.  He  detected  the  lie,  and 
proceeded  to  administer  a  terrible  rebuke. 
The  rebuke  fell  first  on  Ananias,  as  his  wife 
was  absent  when  the  offering  was  presented. 
Peter  condemned  Ananias  by  saying  to  him 
that  Satan  had  filled  his  heart.  He  pointed 
out  to  the  erring  man  that  his  lie  was  one 
not  merely  before  men,  but  before  God.  He 
had  lied  to  the  Holy  Ghost.  With  such  stern 
utterances  Peter  publicly  exposed  the  hypoc- 
risy. The  effect  of  the  rebuke  was  the  same 
as  if  a  blow  had  been  struck  with  God's 
sword  in  the  hand  of  Peter  as  God's  execu- 
tioner. Ananias  dropped  to  the  floor  dead, 
his  life  given  as  a  penalty  for  his  lie.  Im- 
mediately his  body  was  taken  up,  the  burial 
shroud  wound  around  him,  and  he  was  car- 
ried out  to  his  grave.  There  is  nothing  un- 
usual in  the  seeming  hasty  burial,  inasmuch 
as  it  was  the  custom  among  the  Jews  to  bury 
on  the  day  of  the  death,  and  often  within 
three  or  four  hours  after  the  death. 

According  to  the  account,  it  was  some- 
thing like  three  hours  after  the  death  of 
215 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Ananias  when  Sapphire,  his  wife,  came  in. 
She  came  in  ignorance  of  the  fate  that  had 
overtaken  her  husband.  She  came  as  guilty 
as  he.  Peter  said  to  her,  *'Tell  me  whether 
ye  sold  the  land  for  so  much."  The  refer- 
ence was  doubtless  to  the  amount  Ananias 
had  offered  to  the  apostles.  Sapphira  an- 
swered, *'Yes."  She  by  word  of  mouth 
added  her  lie  to  the  deception  of  her  hus- 
band. A  double  tragedy  was  the  result. 
Peter  answered  her  lie  by  saying,  "Behold, 
the  feet  of  them  that  buried  thy  husband  are 
at  the  door  and  shall  carry  thee  out."  And 
Sapphira,  at  that  thrust  of  the  sword  in  the 
hands  of  God's  executioner,  fell  down  dead. 
At  first  glance  this  seems  like  a  harsh 
proceeding,  and  we  feel  inclined  to  criticise 
Peter  for  the  act.  But  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  it  was  not  the  act  of  Peter  so  much 
as  the  act  of  the  Holy  Spirit  through  Peter. 
Peter  was  simply  the  executioner  in  the 
hands  of  the  Spirit.  And  if  the  act  of  the 
Spirit  seems  severe,  we  must  remember  that 
the  hypocrisy  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira  came 
at  a  time  when  deception  could  not  be  tol- 
erated in  the  Church  of  God.  It  was  at  the 
very  beginning  of  Christianity,  and  the 
216 


PETER  GOD'S  EXECUTIONER. 

purity  of  the  Church  must  be  preserved  at 
all  hazards.  Members  within  must  be  made 
to  realize  the  sacredness  of  their  profession, 
and  those  without  must  be  taught  the  danger 
of  dishonestly  insinuating  themselves  into 
the  fellowship  of  the  Church.  Severe  meas- 
ures were  demanded,  for  the  times  were 
critical.  There  are  similar  cases  on  record 
where  God  had  to  take  life  to  teach  needed 
lessons.  Nadab  and  Abihu  were  slain  for 
offering  up  strange  fire.  Achan  was  slain 
for  stealing  the  Babylonish  garment.  In 
both  these  cases  the  sin  committed  was  of  a 
nature  that  demanded  a  severe  rebuke  in  or- 
der to  save  the  morals  of  the  chosen  people. 
So,  too,  Sapphira  and  Ananias  were  slain 
for  lying  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  lest  their  act 
unrebuked  might  encourage  a  corruption  in 
the  new  Church  which  ultimately  might  bring 
it  to  ruin.  The  effect  felt  immediately  by 
the  Church,  and  by  those  outside  the  Church, 
justified  the  means.  The  account  says  that 
great  fear  came  upon  all  the  Church  and  upon 
as  many  as  heard  these  things.  The  Church 
feared  to  pretend  or  to  deceive.  The  world 
feared  to  trifle  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  life 
of  the  Church. 

217 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Let  us  notice  the  significance  and  result 
of  this  sin.  It  was  the  sin  of  h>i)Ocrisy  prac- 
ticed by  deed  rather  than  by  word.  This  was 
true  especially  in  the  case  of  Ananias.  It  is 
just  as  sinful  in  the  sight  of  God  to  be  a 
deceiver  by  deed  as  by  word.  There  are 
many  people  in  the  Church  who  make  the 
statement  that  they  do  not  like  to  get  up  in 
a  prayer  or  class  meeting  and  offer  a  testi- 
mony for  fear  they  might  say  something 
that  would  seem  inconsistent  and  then  they 
would  appear  as  hypocrites.  That  is  without 
doubt  a  worthy  fear,  if  it  is  honest.  But  the 
strange  thing  to  be  noted  in  this  connection 
is  that  so  many  of  those  same  people  go  out 
into  the  world  and  act  in  a  way  that  is  in- 
consistent and  do  not  seem  in  the  least  dis- 
turbed by  the  hypocrisy  which  attaches  to 
their  acts.  But  in  reality  there  is  no  differ- 
ence. Hypocrisy  acted  is  as  bad  as  hypocrisy 
spoken.  In  the  sight  of  God,  hj^DOcrisy  is 
hypocrisy,  whether  it  be  spoken  or  acted; 
whether  it  be  exhibited  in  the  Church  or  in 
the  world.  One  who  acts  in  an  inconsistent 
way  in  the  world  ought  to  hesitate  a  long 
while  before  offering  as  an  excuse  for  not 
testifying  in  public  the  statement  that  he 
218 


PETEB  GOD'S  EXECUTIONER. 

does  not  want  to  appear  inconsistent  or  hypo^ 
critical. 

God  despises  the  spirit  of  hypocrisy. 
This  is  one  of  the  great  lessons  in  the  fate 
of  Ananias.  That  fate  shows  God's  contempt 
for  the  hypocrite.  The  spirit  of  Ananias  is 
herein  condemned,  yet  it  is  alarmingly  easy 
to  exhibit  that  spirit.  There  are  many  ways 
in  which  one  may  almost  nnConscionsly  ex- 
hibit that  hypocritical  spirit.  For  example, 
association  with  a  Church  as  a  member  gives 
one  a  respectable  standing  in  a  community, 
and  sometimes  is  even  the  means  of  increas- 
ing trade  for  a  business  man,  hence  it  is 
easily  possible  for  people  to  unite  with  a 
Church  and  profess  a  religious  life  for  the 
sake  of  these  advantages.  Such  persons, 
however,  are  not  religious  for  religion's  sake, 
but  for  the  sake  of  worldly  advantage. 
Again,  liberality  is  commendable  to-day,  as 
it  was  in  the  days  of  Ananias  and  Barnabas, 
hence  it  is  possible  for  people  to  give  liber- 
ally, not  because  they  love  the  cause,  but  be- 
cause of  the  credit  that  may  come  from  such 
liberality.  And  sometimes,  too,  people  lay 
claim  to  a  higher  degree  of  spiritual  life  than 
they  really  possess,  and  thus  become  guilty 
219 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

of  a  phase  of  hj^ocrisy.  In  all  of  these  ways 
and  iu  many  others  it  is  possible  to  exhibit 
something  of  the  spirit  of  Ananias  and  of- 
fend the  goodness  of  God. 

The  natural  result  of  such  pretense  is  the 
fate  of  Ananias — death.  It  is  death,  not 
physical,  but  spiritual.  "Whenever  one  de- 
parts from  the  path  of  strict  honesty  with 
God  he  begins  a  journey  toward  death.  De- 
ception and  spiritual  power  can  not  exist  in 
the  same  life.  Therefore,  be  honest  with 
God.  Do  not  keep  back  part  of  the  price  you 
assume  to  give  the  Lord.  If  you  have  prom- 
ised the  Lord  your  life,  give  it  to  Him  and 
do  not  divide  it  between  Him  and  the  enemy 
of  your  soul.  If  you  have  promised  Him 
service  in  any  department  of  the  Church 
work,  give  it  to  Him  and  do  not  cheat  Him 
out  of  time  and  talent.  Do  not  serve  self 
and  forget  God  and  the  Church.  Be  sure  of 
this,  that  the  time  is  coming  some  daj^  when 
every  pretense  will  be  discovered  and  ex- 
posed. If  that  time  be  not  before,  it  will  be 
at  the  bar  of  God.  Be  honest  with  God.  The 
one  who  practices  dishonesty  always  gets  the 
worst  of  the  bargain. 

A  little  berry-peddler  called  one  morning 

220 


PETER  GOD'S  EXECUTIONER. 

at  a  home  and  said  to  the  lady  of  the  house, 
"Do  you  want  to  buy  any  berries  to-day T' 
The  little  fellow  was  poorly  clothed  and 
his  feet  were  travel-stained,  but  his  heart 
was  rich  and  true.  He  carried  on  his  arm 
a  basket  of  fresh,  large  raspberries,  wliicli 
looked  inviting  as  they  lay  beneath  the  green 
leaves  partially  covering  them.  Telling  the 
boy  she  needed  some  berries,  the  lady  took 
the  basket  from  him  and  carried  it  into  the 
house  to  measure  out  the  desired  amount. 
The  boy  did  not  follow  her  to  witness  the 
measuring,  but  amused  himself  mth  some 
canaries  that  hung  in  a  cage  by  the  door. 
When  the  lady  returned  she  said  to  the 
boy,  ''Why  did  you  not  come  in  and  see 
if  I  measured  your  berries  aright?  I  might 
have  cheated  you."  The  boy  only  smiled 
and  said,  *'I  am  not  afraid,  for  you  would 
get  the  worst  of  it."  "Get  the  worst  of 
it?"  exclaimed  the  lady;  "what  do  you 
mean?"  "Well,"  said  the  boy,  "I  would 
only  lose  my  berries,  but  you  would  lose 
your  honor.  Do  n  't  you  think  you  would  get 
the  worst  of  it?"  The  philosophy  of  the  boy 
was  sound.  The  one  who  attempts  deception, 
whether  it  be  on  man  or  God,  gets  the  worst 
221 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

of  the  bargain.  'T  is  better  always  to  be 
the  one  deceived  than  the  one  deceiving. 
The  words  w^hich  Shakespeare  causes  Polo- 
nius  to  speak  to  his  son  Laertes  are  worth 
being  remembered  by  every  Christian : 

This  above  all:  to  thine  own  self  be  true, 
And  it  must  follow,  as  the  night  the  day. 
Thou  canst  not  then  be  false  to  any  man. 

And  we  may  add,  '  *  Nor  to  God. ' ' 


222 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

PETER  IN  PRISON. 

The  sad  fate  of  Sappliira  and  Ananias,  while 
it  was  terrible  in  itself,  had  a  splendid  effect 
upon  the  disciples  and  people  alike.  It  not 
only  taught  every  one  the  danger  of  hypoc- 
risy, but  it  brought  the  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ  before  the  people  in  a  favorable  way. 
It  taught  the  valuable  lesson  that  Chris- 
tianity was  a  system  which  could  not  tolerate 
immorality.  The  power  of  Peter  was  also 
magnified  in  the  eyes  of  the  people  by  the 
miracle  worked  through  him.  The  result  was 
that  there  was  a  remarkable  migration  of  the 
people  to  the  standard  of  the  apostles.  The 
account  says  that  believers  were  the  more 
added  to  the  Lord,  multitudes  both  of  men 
and  women.  The  fame  of  Peter  was  heralded 
abroad.  The  people  some  way  believed  that 
he  who  had  been  God's  executioner  in  dealing 
out  justice  could  also  be  God's  minister  in 
dealing  out  mercy.  So  to  him  the  people 
brought  the  sick  and  those  troubled  with  evil 
223 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

spirits.  These  afflicted  people  were  laid  on 
beds  or  couches  in  the  streets,  that  the 
shadow  of  Peter  might  fall  on  them  as  he 
passed.  There  was  a  faith  among  the  people 
that  there  would  be  a  healing  power  in  even 
the  shadow  of  this  wonderful  man  of  God. 

Here  is  the  highest  tribute  that  thus  far 
has  been  paid  to  Peter  by  the  people.  It 
meant  that  in  their  eyes  he  had  become  so 
much  like  his  Master  that,  as  there  was  virtue 
found  in  touching  the  Master's  garment,  so 
there  would  be  virtue  found  in  lying  within 
the  shadow  of  the  apostle. 

Some  critics  have  pointed  out  the  fact 
that  Luke  in  this  account  does  not  say  spe- 
cifically that  the  people  were  healed  by  lying 
in  the  shadow  of  Peter,  and  they  therefore 
deny  that  any  miracle  was  here  performed. 
They  assert  that  all  that  Luke  says  is  that 
the  people  expected  to  be  healed.  They 
would  thus  rob  this  incident  of  its  signifi- 
cance. Yet  the  implication  clearly  is  that 
the  people  were  healed.  In  the  verse  imme- 
diately following  the  one  in  which  mention  is 
made  of  the  shadow,  the  statement  is  made 
that  there  came  also  a  multitude  out  of  the 
cities  round  about  Jerusalem  bringing  their 

224 


PETER  IN  PRISON. 

sick,  ''And  they  were  healed  every  one." 
This  statement  about  the  people  being  healed 
evidently  applies  to  the  people  within  the  city 
as  well  as  to  those  brought  from  without. 
There  should  really  be  no  hesitation  about 
believing  that  the  people  were  healed  by  the 
shadow  as  well  as  by  other  methods  employed 
by  Peter.  This  interpretation  should  not  be 
difficult  for  those  to  accept  who  believe  in 
miracles  at  all,  and  especially  so  when  we 
remember  that  the  healing  in  all  these  cases 
was  not  so  much  the  work  of  Peter  as  the 
power  of  God  working  through  Peter.  The 
account  clearly  indicates  that  those  who  were 
healed  were  those  who  had  great  faith,  hence 
the  healing  was  an  act  by  which  God  honored 
the  faith  of  those  who  believed. 

There  is  a  practical  significance  in  this 
shadow-healing  which  should  not  be  over- 
looked. There  is  a  sense  in  which  a  shadow 
falls  from  every  life  for  the  healing  or  hurt- 
ing of  other  lives.  A  secret  power  which 
we  call  influence  goes  out  from  each  life  to 
touch  other  lives.  There  are  some  lives 
whose  very  presence  is  a  blessing  to  us,  so 
that  we  crave  their  companionship  and  feel 
a  sense  of  loss  when  they  are  taken  from 
225 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

us.  Their  shadow  has  fallen  on  our  lives  to 
bless  us.  But  on  the  other  hand,  there  are 
some  lives  which  are  almost  a  curse  to  us. 
They  arouse  the  evil  rather  than  strengthen 
the  good.  Their  presence  is  a  disturbing  in- 
fluence to  us,  and  we  feel  relieved  when  they 
are  gone.  The  shadow  falls  from  such  lives, 
but  in  a  hurtful  way.  Thus  every  life  casts 
its  own  shadow  for  hurt  or  help.  Mrs.  Bal- 
lington  Booth,  while  once  doing  some  faith- 
ful and  effective  work  among  the  prisoners 
at  Sing  Sing,  was  suddenly  taken  very  ill, 
and  it  was  reported  that  she  would  have  to 
die.  During  her  illness  her  husband  received 
a  note  from  one  of  the  prisoners  who  was 
waiting  to  have  the  death  sentence  executed 
upon  him.  The  note  read :  *'I  do  not  belong 
to  the  Volunteer  Prison  League,  but  your 
wife's  presence  here  has  transformed  this 
place  in  such  a  way  that  I  feel  good  in  spite 
of  myself.  When  I  heard  she  was  going  to 
die  I  wanted  to  pray  that  she  might  get  well, 
but  now  that  the  warden  has  told  me  that 
she  will  get  well,  my  heart  is  so  full  of  joy 
that  I  can  die  in  peace."  The  shadow  of  the 
good  woman's  life  had  fallen  over  the  life 
of  the  bad  man  and  had  cured  some  of  the 

226 


PETER  IN  PRISON. 

pain  of  his  condition.  When  the  saintly 
Florence  Nightingale  walked  past  the  cots  on 
which  the  wounded  soldiers  lay,  her  shadow 
falling  upon  them  w^as  like  the  spreading  of 
an  angel's  vdng  over  them,  and  that  shadow 
was  balm  for  the  healing  of  many  an  aching 
heart.  There  are  many  such  lives.  They 
bring  peace  with  them,  and  healing  dwells 
in  their  shadow. 

Peter  was  persecuted  because  there  was 
healing  in  his  shadow.  The  head  of  the  per- 
secution in  this  case  was  the  high  priest. 
He  and  those  with  him  were  filled  with  jeal- 
ousy because  Peter  was  becoming  more  of 
an  idol  with  the  people  than  they.  Great  is 
the  selfishness  and  cruelty  of  jealousy!  It 
would  deprive  the  people  of  blessings  and 
permit  them  to  sit  in  pain  rather  than  sacri- 
fice a  little  popularity!  So  the  high  priest 
laid  hold  of  Peter  and  the  other  apostles  and 
placed  them  in  the  common  prison.  This  is 
the  second  time  since  Pentecost  that  Peter 
has  been  imprisoned.  The  first  time  was 
because  of  the  healing  of  the  lame  man  at 
the  Gate  Beautiful.  In  this  second  case  it 
is  also  because  of  a  healing  work.  These 
facts  show  the  utter  desperation  to  which  the 

227 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

enemies  of  Christianity  were  driven  in  their 
efforts  to  destroy  the  rising  faith.  Although 
the  new  faith  exhibited  itself  as  an  angel  of 
mercy  to  suffering  men,  it  must  be  suppressed 
lest  its  advocates  secure  greater  popularity 
than  the  leaders  of  the  old  faith ! 

Nothing  is  told  us  concerning  the  place  of 
Peter's  imprisonment  save  that  it  was  the 
common  or  public  ward.  But  wherever  it  was, 
the  apostles  were  not  destined  to  remain  long 
within  its  walls,  for  the  Lord  had  planned 
an  escape  for  them.  The  account  says  merely 
that  the  angel  of  the  Lord  opened  the  prison 
doors.  A  great  deal  of  speculation  has  arisen 
among  critics  as  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
doors  were  opened.  Some  have  supposed  that 
a  peal  of  thunder  sprung  the  lock.  Others 
have  suggested  that  an  earthquake  threw  the 
doors  ajar.  Still  others  think  that  some  friend 
appeared  and  unlocked  the  doors.  But  it  is 
safe  to  follow  the  account  as  given.  It  re- 
veals the  care  that  God  has  for  them  that 
put  their  trust  in  Him.  The  Word  tells  that 
He  will  with  every  temptation  make  a  way 
of  escape.  Some  way  which  we  maj^  not  be 
able  to  see  is  provided.  When  the  high  priest 
locked  Peter  up,  he  supposed  his  victim  to 

228 


PETER  IN  PRISON. 

be  full}^  within  his  power.  It  has  been  said 
that  man  proposes,  but  God  disposes.  So  it 
was  in  this  case.  The  persecutors  proposed, 
but  God  disposed.  God  disposed  of  the  case 
in  a  way  surprising  to  the  persecutors.  It 
was  by  delivering  the  victim  entirely  out  of 
their  hands.  He  unlocked  the  prison  doors 
and  the  captives  were  set  free. 

It  will  be  observed  that  God  never  de- 
livers His  people  without  a  purpose.  He 
liberated  Peter,  not  that  he  might  be  idle, 
but  that  He  might  send  him  on  a  mission. 
The  delivering  angel  said  to  him,  ''Go  stand 
and  speak  in  the  temple  to  the  people  all  the 
words  of  this  life."  The  expression  "this 
life"  means  the  Christian  life  or  the  new 
life  in  Christ.  Peter 's  commission,  therefore, 
was  to  preach  and  heal  in  the  name  of  Jesus, 
just  as  he  had  done  before  his  imprisonment. 
New  evidence  of  the  transformed  nature  of 
Peter  is  seen  in  the  willingness  with  which  he 
obeyed  this  command  from  the  Lord.  It  in- 
volved danger  and  required  courage  to  obey. 
But  Peter  never  hesitated.  He  "entered  the 
temple  early  in  the  morning  and  taught. ' ' 

The  high  priest,  being  in  ignorance  of  the 
escape  of  his  prisoners,  called  an  early  meet- 
229 


THE  EXALTED  FISHEBMAN. 

ing  of  the  council  the  following  morning,  and 
sent  to  the  prison  to  have  the  apostles 
brought  to  trial.  But  when  the  messengers 
returned  and  reported  the  prison  empty,  the 
high  priest  and  his  helpers  were  much  dis- 
tressed and  wondered  whereunto  the  matter 
would  grow.  But  they  were  not  turned  from 
their  evil  purposes,  and  hearing  that  the 
apostles  were  teaching  in  the  temple,  they 
sent  the  captain  of  the  temple  with  his  of- 
ficers to  bring  them  to  trial.  The  significant 
statement  is  made  that  they  brought  the 
apostles  mthout  violence,  because  they  feared 
the  people.  In  that  brief  statement  is  re- 
vealed the  respect  the  rulers  have  for  the 
voice  of  the  people.  The  people  have  only 
to  make  their  voice  heard  to  be  guaranteed 
a  hearing  from  the  rulers.  Eeforms  in  his- 
tory have  frequently  been  the  result  of  the 
voice  of  the  people.  Corruption  exists 
largely  because  the  people  do  not  assert 
themselves  and  let  their  voice  be  heard.  It 
may  be  accepted  as  a  law  that  when  the 
people  speak  with  a  positive  voice,  the  rulers 
will  listen  and  heed. 

The  trial  of  the  prisoners  began.    Jesus 
had  taught  these  men  that  they  should  be 
230 


PETER  IN  PEISON. 

brought  before  the  councils  for  His  sake,  but 
that  he  that  endured  to  the  end  should  be 
saved.  That  prophecy  was  here  fulfilled,  and 
Peter  in  this  case  indicated  that  he  intended 
to  be  one  of  the  saved  because  he  was  faithful 
to  the  uttermost. 

The  charge  brought  against  the  apostles 
was,  that  in  spite  of  the  warning  of  the  high 
priest  they  had  continued  to  teach  the  gospel 
of  Jesus.  The  evident  purpose  of  the  arrest 
was  that  the  apostles  might  be  so  intimi- 
dated that  they  would  cease  their  preaching 
and  teaching.  But  that  they  were  not  to  be 
thus  frightened  from  their  work  was  shown 
by  the  position  taken  by  Peter.  That  posi- 
tion was  revealed  in  the  simple  declaration, 
^'We  ought  to  obey  God  rather  than  man." 
Peter  then  followed  that  declaration  of  prin- 
ciple with  a  sermon.  It  was  a  sermon  worthy 
of  study.  The  Bible  student  is  struck  by  the 
similarity  between  this  sermon  and  the  one 
preached  by  Peter  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 
Preachers  are  sometimes  criticised  to-day  for 
repeating  a  sermon,  but  there  is  a  precedent 
for  such  a  practice  in  the  case  of  Peter.  This 
sermon  was  almost  a  repetition  of  the  one  at 
Pentecost.  The  two  were  built  up  on  prac- 
231 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

tically  the  same  outline.  The  points  made 
in  the  former  sermon  were:  the  people  had 
killed  the  Son  of  God;  God  had  raised  Him 
from  the  dead ;  God  had  highly  exalted  Him ; 
Jesus  was  the  only  means  of  pardon  and  sal- 
vation. Exactly  the  same  points  are  made 
here,  though  not  in  exactly  the  same  order. 
(Acts  5:30-32.) 

The  two  sermons  are,  therefore,  similar 
in  substance.  Peter,  however,  in  this  sermon 
emphasized  an  additional  point,  namely,  that 
the  apostles  were  witnesses  of  these  things 
together  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  Being  wit- 
nesses, they  must  speak.  This  was  Peter's 
argument.  It  meant  that  the  injunction  of 
the  high  priest  and  his  followers  was  not  to 
be  heeded.  The  result  may  be  easily  imag- 
ined. The  persecutors  were  angered  and 
sought  to  slay  Peter  and  liis  companions. 
One  thing  transpired,  however,  to  save  them. 
It  was  the  logic  of  Gamaliel,  an  ancient  doc- 
tor of  the  law,  held  in  high  esteem  among 
the  people.  The  argument  briefly  stated  was 
that  the  court  should  not  concern  itself  un- 
duly about  the  apostles  for  the  reason  that 
if  their  work  was  of  man,  it  would  naturally 
come  to  naught  as  other  similar  movements 
232 


PETER  IN  PRISON. 

had  done.  Bnt  if  the  work  were  of  God,  it 
could  not  be  overthrown,  and  it  would  only 
be  fighting  against  the  will  of  God  to  attempt 
it.  This  logic  prevailed,  and  after  the 
apostles  had  been  beaten  and  commanded  to 
teach  no  more  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  they 
were  liberated.  The  logic  of  Gamaliel  is  good 
to  apply  in  all  cases  where  the  question  of 
the  value  of  certain  religious  movements 
arises.  False  theories  may  be  advanced ;  ob- 
jectionable movements  may  be  started.  But 
the  Christian  worker  need  not  worry  unduly. 
If  God  is  not  in  them,  the  theories  and  move- 
ments will  come  to  naught.  If  God  is  in  them, 
they  must  live. 

The  result  of  this  persecution  against 
Peter  and  the  apostles  is  revealed  in  the 
words,  "They  ceased  not  to  teach  and  to 
preach  Jesus  Christ."  The  persecution  was 
fruitless.  Never  has  violence  been  the  means 
of  checking  Christianity  in  its  marvelous 
growth  through  the  years.  The  result  of 
such  a  method  has  always  been  the  same 
as  in  this  case,  namely,  increased  strength 
for  the  oppressed  cause.  Those  early  ex- 
periences of  the  apostles  were,  therefore, 
prophetic  in  a  twofold  way. 
233 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

First,  tliey  were  prophetic  of  the  per- 
petual opposition  that  awaited  the  cause  of 
Christ.  Never  has  Christianity  been  free 
from  opposition.  Christianity  means  a  cru- 
sade for  right  in  the  highest  sense.  A  cru- 
sade for  the  right  always  provokes  opposi- 
tion. Sometimes  the  opposition  will  come 
from  those  of  whom  it  is  least  expected,  but 
it  will  come.  If  the  ancient  apostle  received 
his  opposition  in  the  manner  then  in  vogue, 
the  modern  disciple  will  receive  his  after  the 
manner  of  his  day,  though  the  manner  be 
vastly  changed.  Modern  opposition  is  more 
subtle,  but  it  is  as  real.  It  does  not  incur 
the  risk  of  life,  but  it  incurs  the  risk  of  prin- 
ciple. It  demands  again  the  spirit  that  can 
say,  **We  ought  to  obey  God  rather  than 
men. '  * 

Second,  these  experiences  were  prophetic 
of  the  perpetual  success  that  awaited  the 
cause  of  Christ.  It  is  an  apparent  truth  that 
kites  rise  against  and  not  with  the  wind. 
So  has  it  been  with  Christianity.  Her  oppo- 
sition has  been  the  opportunity  for  her  rise. 
To  the  Christian  who  knows  the  history  of 
the  past  there  is  no  discouragement  in  the 
fact  that  opposition  exists.  Jesus  Himself 
234 


PETER  IN  PRISON. 

foretold  that  condition.  But  He  likewise 
foretold  that  His  cause  should  prevail  until 
every  tongue  should  confess  Him  Lord.  In 
Browning's  ''Pippa  Passes"  there  is  an  ex- 
pression used  which  expresses  the  faith 
which  every  Christian  ought  to  possess,  de- 
spite opposition  and  hardships,  and  the  faith 
which  all  the  history  of  God's  Kingdom  in 
the  past  fully  justifies: 

"God  's  in  His  heaven — 

All 's  right  with  the  world  1" 


^'T 


u  -u*. 


235 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

PETER  IN  SAMARIA. 

The  imprisonment  of  Peter,  which  was  pre- 
sented in  the  last  chapter,  was  followed  by 
two  or  three  important  incidents,  according 
to  the  account  given  by  Luke.  The  Church 
membership  increased  rapidly,  and  new  needs 
arose  with  the  increased  membersliip.  Col- 
lections for  the  poor  were  needed,  and  were 
taken  and  distributed  among  the  unfortu- 
nate. This  charitable  work  grew  to  such  di- 
mensions that  it  was  impossible  for  the 
apostles  to  attend  to  it  and  also  to  do  the 
work  of  the  ministry.  Their  conviction  was 
that  they  should  attend  to  the  spiritual  part 
of  the  Church  work,  but  that  others  should 
be  chosen  to  look  after  the  temporal  affairs, 
or  as  they  expressed  it,  to  serve  at  tables. 
Certain  assistants  were  therefore  chosen, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  aid  in  spreading  the 
gospel  by  managing  the  temporal  affairs  con- 
nected with  the  Church  life,  while  the 
apostles  were  left  free  to  preach  the  Word 
236 


PETER  IN  SAMARIA. 

and  attend  to  the  spiritual  work.  These  as- 
sistants were  seven  in  number  and  were 
called  deacons.  Among  the  seven  were  two 
whose  names  are  important,  Stephen  and 
Pliilip.  Stephen's  career  seems  to  have  been 
a  short  one.  Because  of  his  aggressiveness 
he  received  the  bitterest  opposition  from  the 
enemies  of  Christianity,  and  was  finally  tried 
and  stoned  to  death.  Dr.  Parker,  of  London, 
once  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  this 
grave  of  Stephen  was  the  second  one  dug  thus 
far  in  the  history  of  the  Christian  Church. 
The  first  one  held  the  remains  of  Sapphira 
and  Ananias.  In  the  first  lay  victims  smitten 
by  God's  thunderbolts  because  of  their  hy- 
pocrisy. In  the  second  lay  a  faithful  dis- 
ciple smitten  by  the  anger  of  men  because 
of  loyalty  to  God.  Over  the  first  no  tears 
were  shed.  Over  the  second  loud  lamenta- 
tions were  made  by  saintly  men.  Sapphira 
and  Ananias  died  with  the  blackness  of  de- 
spair in  their  faces,  and  fell  into  hopeless 
graves.  Stephen  died  with  a  divine  light  on 
his  countenance,  which  made  it  appear  like 
an  angel's  face,  and  he  was  laid  away  in  a 
grave  bright  with  hope.  Those  two  graves, 
as  extreme  as  they  are,  mark  the  destinies  of 
237 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

all  men.  The  grave  of  the  unfaithful  or  th* 
grave  of  the  loyal  will  be  the  destiny  of 
every  man.  The  character  of  the  present  is 
determining  the  grave  of  the  future.  From 
the  grave  of  the  future  will  grow  the  flower 
of  eternal  destiny — the  destiny  of  salvation 
or  of  destruction. 

Following  the  death  of  Stephen,  a  gen- 
eral persecution  was  begun  against  the 
Church  at  Jerusalem,  insomuch  that  its  mem- 
bers were  forced  to  scatter  abroad  among 
the  neighboring  provinces  and  cities.  The 
scattering,  however,  was  only  a  means  of 
spreading  the  new  gospel,  and  thus  the  per- 
secution, which  was  intended  as  an  injury, 
proved  to  be  a  friend  to  the  new  cause,  aiding 
in  its  advancement.  Philip,  whose  name  in 
importance  stands  side  by  side  with  Ste- 
phen's, was  evidently  driven  by  this  perse- 
cution to  the  city  of  Samaria.  This  city  lay 
about  forty  miles  northward  from  Jerusalem. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Samaritans 
were  a  mixed  race  of  people,  foreign  blood 
having  been  mixed  vnih  and  made  to  pre- 
dominate over  the  Jewish.  The  Samaritans 
had  adopted  the  Jewish  religion,  but  had 
mortally  offended  the  Jews  by  establishing 
238 


PETER  IN  SAMAEIA. 

an  independent  priesthood  and  form  of  wor- 
ship. These  people  did  not  possess  all  the 
religions  prejudices  of  the  Jews,  hence  could 
more  readily  accept  the  teachings  of  the  new 
sect  of  Christians.  We  are  not  surprised, 
therefore,  to  discover  that  Philip  had  great 
success  in  Samaria.  The  account  says  that 
the  multitude  gave  heed  with  one  accord  when 
they  heard  Philip  and  saw  the  signs  he  per- 
formed. Many  believed  and  were  baptized. 
When  the  apostles  back  at  Jerusalem  heard 
that  the  people  of  Samaria  had  believed  and 
received  the  gospel,  they  sent  a  delegation  of 
their  own  number  to  that  city  to  care  for 
the  new  converts  and  continue  the  work. 
This  action  on  the  part  of  the  apostles  was 
the  part  of  wisdom  and  showed  their  desire 
that  the  growth  of  the  gospel  might  become 
permanent. 

The  delegation  sent  to  Samaria  was  com- 
posed of  Peter  and  John.  We  have  reason 
to  believe  that  these  two  men  were  the  choice 
of  the  apostles  to  carry  on  the  work  in 
Samaria,  inasmuch  as  the  account  says  the 
apostles  sent  them.  There  was  in  all  proba- 
bility a  meeting  called  and  a  discussion  of 
the  men  to  be  sent.  The  mission  was  an  im- 
239 


THE  EXALTED  FISHEEMAN. 

portant  one,  and  the  sense  of  the  apostles 
was  that  the  proper  ones  to  be  sent  were 
those  two  men,  who  had  stood  so  close  to 
Jesus  in  His  life,  and  who  had  become  so 
prominent  in  the  work  of  His  Kingdom  since 
His  departure.  So  Peter  and  John,  those 
two  who  had  for  so  long  been  bosom  friends, 
were  sent. 

The  significance  of  this  mission  should  be 
noted.  Here  were  two  Jews  sent  by  Jews  to 
minister  to  formerly  despised  Gentiles.  The 
Jews  had  a  contempt  for  all  Gentiles,  but 
especially  for  the  Samaritans.  The  bitter 
feeling  existing  between  the  Jews  and  the 
Samaritans  may  be  understood  by  recalling 
the  conversation  between  Jesus  and  the 
woman  of  Samaria  at  the  well  of  Sychar. 
When  Jesus  asked  a  drink  of  the  woman,  she 
was  surprised  and  said, ' '  How  it  is  that  Thou 
.  .  .  being  a  Jew,  asketh  a  drink  of  me  ... 
for  the  Jews  have  no  dealings  with  the  Sa- 
maritans ? ' '  And  when  the  disciples  returned 
and  found  Jesus  talking  with  the  woman 
they,  too,  were  surprised,  and  marveled  at  the 
sight.  Prejudice  in  the  case  was  deep-seated. 
Yet  in  spite  of  the  old  hatred  we  here  see  two 
of  the  very  disciples  who  had  marveled  going 
240 


PETER  IN  SAMARIA. 

to  those  same  despised  Samaritans  to  minis- 
ter to  them.  What  was  the  cause  of  this  great 
change?  Now  the  wall  of  partition  between 
the  Jews  and  other  nations  was  broken  down. 
How  had  it  happened?  The  secret  was  that 
these  men  had  caught  so  much  of  the  spirit/ 
of  the  Master  that  their  prejudices  had  been 
removed  and  they  were  willing  that  the  bene- 
fits of  the  gospel  should  be  received  by  the 
Gentiles  as  well  as  themselves.  Herein  we 
see  the  inevitable  effect  of  the  possession  of 
the  spirit  of  Jesus.  It  reduces  our  pride, 
destroys  our  prejudices,  places  unfortunate 
people  in  favor  before  us,  and  makes  us  feel 
that  in  spite  of  poverty,  position,  or  misfor- 
tune, all  men  are  our  brothers. 

It  is  important  to  notice  the  work  of  these 
delegates  to  Samaria.  Two  special  features 
of  their  work  are  prominently  mentioned. 
The  first  is  the  invoking  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

We  meet  a  strange  fact  here.  The  Samar- 
itans were  converted  and  were  baptized,  but 
had  not  yet  received  the  Holy  Spirit — in  His 
fullness,  at  least.  This  fact  is  suggestive 
and  likewise  destructive  to  some  theories  fre- 
quently held.  It  shows  that  there  is  no  es- 
sential relation  between  baptism  and  the  gift 

''  241 


THE  EXALTED  FISHEBMAN. 

of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  sometimes  claimed 
that  baptism  is  the  act  by  which  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  given.  But  here  is  a  case  where 
many  were  baptized  and  the  Spirit  was  not 
given.  A  little  later  we  shall  see  that  in 
Ceesarea  certain  ones  were  converted  and  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Spirit  without  being  bap- 
tized. Hence  we  have  both  extremes,  bap- 
tism without  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  without  baptism.  There  can,  there- 
fore, be  no  essential  relation  between  the  two. 
More  than  baptism  by  water  is  necessary 
to  fit  one  for  discipleship.  Baptism  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  also  needed.  If,  as  we  are 
sometimes  told,  baptism  is  the  great  essen- 
tial, why  should  there  have  been  in  this  case 
an  invoking  of  the  Spirit?  It  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  find  a  stronger  statement  of  the  in- 
sufficiency of  baptism  than  the  one  made  in 
connection  with  this  case,  ''Only  they  had 
been  baptized  into  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus."  They  had  ''only"  been  baptized. 
The  words  leave  the  impression  that  they 
had  merely  begun  the  Christian  life.  Such 
was  the  case.  Only  the  first  steps  had  been 
taken.  A  greater  stop  was  to  follow,  and  that 
step  was  the  reception  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
242 


PETER  IN  SAMARIA. 

The  importance  of  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  here\\T.th  suggested.  The  account 
says  they  received  the  Holy  Spirit,  which 
means  that  the  Spirit  was  received  in  a  spe- 
cial way.  They  had,  it  is  true,  been  influ- 
enced by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  conversion,  and 
in  that  sense  had  received  Him.  It  was  by 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that  they 
had  been  convicted,  made  to  believe,  and 
commit  their  lives  to  Jesus  Christ.  But  the 
reception  of  the  Spirit  spoken  of  here  is  the 
special  reception  which  we  may  call  the  bap- 
tism for  service.  It  was  very  customary  in 
the  early  Church  for  the  new  convert  to  re- 
ceive some  gift  of  the  Spirit  fitting  him  for 
service.  Such  gifts  as  those  of  tongues, 
prophecies,  or  teaching  were  received.  The 
thought  impressed  by  these  facts  is  that  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus  are  born  into  the  Kingdom 
to  serve,  and  need  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  that  end.  The  modern  Church  too  fre- 
quently fails  at  this  point.  If  the  Church 
to-day  insisted  on  a  complete  surrender  to 
God,  and  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit  for 
service,  she  would  be  a  greater  power  than 
she  is.  A  Church  without  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  like  an  engine  without  steam.  The  engine 
243 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

may  be  beautiful  and  perfect  in  its  mechan- 
ism, but  it  will  be  useless  because  it  lacks 
power.  So  with  the  Church  ignoring  the 
power  of  the  Spirit. 

The  second  feature  in  the  work  of  these 
delegates  to  Samaria  was  the  teaching  of  the 
right  motive  in  service.  The  case  of  Simon 
the  sorcerer  furnished  the  opportunity  for 
this  lesson.  Simon  was  one  who  had  believed 
and  been  baptized,  as  we  suppose,  in  good 
faith.  However,  some  of  his  old  nature  still 
clung  to  him.  He  had  formerly  by  the  use 
of  magic  assumed  to  be  some  great  one,  and 
had  commanded  a  large  following.  But  when 
he  saw  the  work  of  Peter  and  John,  he  recog- 
nized superiors  and  knew  that  these  men  ex- 
ercised powers  which  he  did  not  possess. 
When  he  saw  that  by  the  laying  on  of  hands 
the  apostles  gave  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  con- 
cluded that  he  might  purchase  the  power  at 
a  price.  Hence  he  proposed  to  Peter  that 
for  a  sum  of  money  there  might  be  trans- 
ferred to  liim  the  power  of  giving  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Observe  that  his  motive  was  not  that 
he  might  glorify  God  by  the  use  of  the  power, 
but  rather  that  he  might  be  able  to  grant  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  whom  he  would. 
244 


PETER  IN  SAMARIA. 

Ill  other  words,  there  would  be  both  money 
and  honor  for  him  in  the  possession  of  the 
power.  By  giving  to  others  the  power  of 
the  Spirit  he  could  receive  large  sums  of 
money,  as  he  did  formerly  with  his  sorcery. 
Also  he  would  receive  a  large  following  and 
be  looked  upon  with  great  favor.  Thus 
Simon  reasoned. 

It  was  because  of  the  wickedness  of  Si- 
mon's motive  that  Peter  replied  as  he  did, 
"Thy  silver  perish  with  thee  because  thou 
hast  thought  to  obtain  the  gift  of  God  with 
money."  Not  only  was  the  motive  of  Simon 
wrong,  but  he  had  an  erroneous  notion  of 
the  method  of  obtaining  the  gift  of  the  Spirit. 
He  thought  to  buy  it  with  a  price.  He  did 
not  know  that  the  currency  that  passes  with 
God  is  not  gold  or  silver,  but  faith.  God's 
standard  is  not  the  gold  standard  or  the 
silver  standard,  but  the  faith  standard. 
Simon's  judgment  was  not  right.  But  worst 
of  all,  his  heart  was  not  right.  His  motive 
was  wrong. 

Herein  lies  a  very  important  lesson.    It 

is  extremely  easy  to  become  possessed  of  a 

wrong  motive  in  working  for  God.     It  is 

easy  to  be  enthusiastic  when  we  think  our 

245 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

enthusiasm  will  bring  us  some  profit  in  the 
way  of  honor  or  money.  We  become  willing 
to  give  a  large  sum  of  money  to  the  Church 
if  we  think  everybody  will  know  about  it  and 
compliment  us  for  it.  We  are  willing  to  toil 
earnestly  if  we  think  the  people  will  consider 
us  some  great  one  because  of  the  burden  we 
bear.  But  in  such  cases  the  motive  would 
certainly  be  wrong.  It  is  self  and  not  God 
Avho  is  served  when  such  motives  control. 
We  need  to  be  careful  of  our  motives.  If 
we  find  them  wrong,  there  is  need  to  apply 
an  immediate  remedy.  That  remedy  is  sug- 
gested in  the  context,  in  the  requirements 
Peter  made  of  Simon.  There  were  two  re- 
quirements, repentance  and  prayer. 

The  first  requirement  Peter  made  of 
Simon  was,  ''Repent  of  this  thy  wickedness." 
The  discovery  of  sin  must  always  be  fol- 
lowed by  repentance  if  pardon  is  to  be  re- 
ceived and  if  the  life  is  to  be  made  right. 
If  the  human  soul  could  see  the  sorrow 
caused  the  Divine  Heart  because  of  its  sin, 
a  corresponding  sorrow  w^ould  be  aroused 
within,  which  would  be  relieved  only  by  a 
complete  turning  from  all  wrong. 

But  in  addition  Peter  said,  ''Pray  God  if 
246 


PETER  IN  SAMARIA. 

perhaps  the  thought  of  thy  heart  may  be  for- 
given thee."  Prayer  for  forgiveness  must 
follow  repentance.  Prayer  must  precede 
pardon  and  restoration  to  divine  favor.  The 
prayer  for  pardon  and  mercy  is  the  pathway 
to  peace.  The  cry  of  the  publican,  ''God,  be 
merciful  to  me  a  sinner,"  is  the  forerunner 
of  the  justified  and  happy  life.  A  missionary 
tells  of  a  Hottentot  in  South  Africa  who  was 
living  with  the  family  of  a  Dutchman  whose 
custom  it  was  to  have  family  prayers.  The 
Hottentot  was  stricken  with  a  sense  of  sin, 
and  while  in  that  condition  one  morning  his 
master  read  the  parable  of  the  Pharisee  and 
the  publican.  "Two  men  went  up  into  the 
temple  to  pray."  The  Hottentot  whispered, 
' '  Now  I  '11  learn  how  to  pray. ' '  The  Dutch- 
man read,  ' '  God,  I  thank  Thee  that  I  am  not 
as  other  men."  "No,  I  am  not,  but  worse," 
said  the  Hottentot.  The  Dutchman  contin- 
ued, "I  fast  twice  a  week  and  give  tithes  of 
all  I  possess. ' '  The  Hottentot  said,  "  I  do  n  't 
do  that;  how  can  I  pray!"  But  the  Dutch- 
man read  on  about  the  publican,  who  did  not 
so  much  as  lift  up  his  eyes  to  heaven. 
"That  's  me,"  whispered  the  poor  Hottentot. 
"Stood  afar  off,"  read  the  other.  "That  's 
247 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

where  I  am,"  said  the  Hottentot.  ''But 
smote  upon  his  breast,  sajdng,  'God,  be  merci- 
ful to  me  a  sinner.'  "  The  African  jumped 
up  and  cried:  "That  's  me.  That  's  my 
prayer."  And  smiting  his  troubled  breast, 
he  groaned,  "God,  be  merciful  to  me  a  sin- 
ner. ' '  And  it  is  said  that,  like  the  publican, 
the  poor  African  went  to  his  house  a  justified 
and  happy  man.  For  all  conscious  wrong  the 
true  remedy  is  that  given  by  Peter — Peter, 
who  had  passed  the  way  of  tears  and  peni- 
tence:   "Repent — Pray  God." 


248 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

PETER  AT  LYDDA  AND  JOPPA. 

Between  the  event  discussed  in  tlie  last  chap- 
ter and  the  one  to  be  presented  in  this  chap- 
ter a  new  character  appears  in  the  history 
of  the  Church.  This  character  appears  as  a 
star  which  is  to  shine  brighter  and  brighter 
in  the  history  of  the  early  Church  until  all 
the  others  are  eclipsed  by  it.  It  is  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  soon  to  be  known  as  Paul  the  Apostle. 
Up  to  this  time  Peter  has  been  the  central 
figure  in  the  history  of  the  Christian  Church, 
but  this  new  star  has  arisen  to  outshine  him. 
The  narrative  of  the  conversion  of  Saul 
brings  this  new  character  into  prominence. 
Saul  increases  in  prominence,  and  as  he  does 
so  Peter  begins  to  decrease.  He  finally  drops 
from  sight  so  far  as  the  account  in  the  Book 
of  Acts  is  concerned.  But  before  he  finally 
disappears  from  view  there  are  two  or  three 
interesting  glimpses  of  him  given  by  Luke. 
To  one  of  these  our  attention  is  now  directed, 
namely,  to  the  miracles  at  Lydda  and  Joppa. 
249 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

This  is  not  the  first  time  that  Peter  has 
been  presented  as  a  miracle  worker.  His  first 
miracle  was  the  healing  of  the  lame  man  at 
the  Gate  Beautiful.  Then  occurred  the  heal- 
ing of  the  afflicted  people  by  his  shadow  pass- 
ing over  them.  In  Lydda  and  Joppa  we  see 
Peter  again  in  the  role  of  a  miracle  worker. 
In  this  latter  case  the  miraculous  power  is 
carried  to  the  highest  possible  degree,  that 
of  raising  the  dead. 

The  event  at  Lydda  is  narrated  in  four 
short  verses  in  the  ninth  chapter  of  Acts,  be- 
ginning with  the  thirty-second  verse.  The 
expression,  ''As  Peter  passed  through  all 
quarters,"  seems  to  imply  that  he  had  been 
continuing  his  missionary  labors  and  was 
probably  acting  as  a  general  overseer  of  the 
Christian  communities.  This  fact  is  another 
mark  of  the  prominence  w^hich  Peter  held 
even  up  to  this  time,  and  shows  that  until 
the  appearance  of  Paul,  no  one  had  exercised 
more  influence  than  he  in  the  early  Church. 

In  the  course  of  these  missionary  jour- 
neys Peter  came  down  to  Lydda.  Lydda  was 
at  that  time  a  city  of  considerable  impor- 
tance, lying  about  twenty-five  miles  north- 
west of  Jerusalem.  The  Word  of  God  had 
250 


PETER  AT  LYDDA  AND  JOPPA. 

already  been  preached  there,  for  ^'saints" 
or  Christians  were  dwelling  there  when  Peter 
arrived.  Among  these  believers  was  one 
named  ^neas,  who  was  an  invalid  afflicted 
with  the  palsy.  The  sufferer  had  been  unable 
to  walk  for  a  period  of  eight  years.  Him 
Peter  healed  of  his  affliction.  The  account 
of  the  healing  is  given  in  a  few  words,  with- 
out any  attempt  to  describe  details.  There 
is  nothing  more  remarkable  in  this  miracle 
than  many  others  recorded  before,  and  others 
perhaps  never  recorded,  so  the  question 
arises  as  to  why  this  miracle  is  mentioned 
at  all.  It  could  not  have  been  merely  to  re- 
veal the  power  of  Christ  to  heal,  for  that 
power  had  been  revealed  over  and  over.  This 
case  is  mentioned  perhaps  to  reveal  the  spirit 
the  followers  of  Christ  should  have  with 
reference  to  those  who  suffer.  It  will  be 
noticed  that  this  healing  is  voluntary  on 
Peter's  part.  In  other  cases  we  usually  find 
the  afflicted  one  crying  for  help.  The  lame 
man  at  the  Gate  Beautiful  stopped  Peter  and 
John  and  asked  an  alms  of  them.  The  af- 
flicted one  usually  made  the  advance.  But 
in  the  case  now  before  us  Peter  makes  the 
advance  and  says,  '*-^neas,  Jesus  Christ 
251 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

maketli  thee  wliole :  rise  and  make  thy  bed. ' ' 
It  is  an  act  revealing  the  true  Christ-spirit. 
It  is  a  spirit  not  willing  that  any  one  should 
suffer  needlessly.  Peter's  act  was  equivalent 
to  saying,  *'^neas,  Jesus  Christ  doesn't 
want  a  mortal  to  suffer  as  you  do,  but  offers 
healing. ' '  Such  is  the  real  attitude  of  Christ 
toward  His  people.  He  is  in  sjnipathetic 
relation  with  each  of  His  followers,  rejoicing 
in  their  joys  and  sorrowing  with  them  in 
their  griefs.  This  is  the  sympathy  of  feeling 
that  should  exist  among  His  followers.  This 
spirit  of  offering  relief  is  the  spirit  His  fol- 
lowers ought  to  exhibit. 

This  act  of  Peter  was  not  only  voluntary, 
but  unselfish  as  well.  Peter  did  not  say,  *'I 
make  you  whole."  He  said,  ''Jesus  Christ 
maketh  you  whole."  He  did  not  seek  any 
glory  for  himself,  but  gave  it  all  to  the  Lord. 
This  is  a  valuable  lesson  for  all  Christians 
to  learn.  The  most  effective  way  of  doing 
Christian  work  is  to  allow  self  to  sink  com- 
pletely out  of  sight  while  the  Master  and  the 
interests  of  His  Kingdom  are  pushed  to  the 
front.  The  more  self  is  out  of  sight,  the  more 
Christ  will  be  in  sight.  The  more  self  is  for- 
gotten, the  more  one  thinks  to  do  for  the 
252 


PETER  AT  LYDDA  AND  JOPPA. 

Master.  Mark  Guy  Pearse  says  that  he  once 
saw  an  old  man  fishing  for  trout  and  pull- 
ing out  the  beautiful  fish  with  surprising 
regularity.  He  approached  the  old  gentle- 
man and  said :  "You  manage  it  very  cleverly, 
my  friend.  I  have  passed  several  down  the 
stream  who  don't  seem  to  be  catching  any- 
thing. ' '  The  old  man  stuck  his  rod  into  the 
ground  and  replied:  "Well,  you  see,  sir, 
there  are  three  rules  for  catching  trout,  and 
't  is  no  good  trying  if  you  do  n  't  mind  them. 
The  first  is,  keep  yourself  out  of  sight.  The 
second  is,  keep  yourself  further  out  of  sight. 
The  third  is,  keep  yourself  still  further  out 
of  sight.  Then  you  '11  catch  them."  Mr. 
Pearse  says  that  as  he  walked  away  from 
the  old  man  he  said  to  himself,  "Good  rules 
for  catching  men,  too. ' '  And  it  is  true.  The 
best  rule  for  successful  Christian  work  is  to 
keep  self  out  of  sight  and  keep  Christ  to  the 
front.  If  the  Christ  is  to  increase,  the  dis- 
ciple must  decrease. 

The  effect  of  this  miracle  by  Peter  was 
very  pronounced.  "All  that  dwelt  in  Lydda 
and  Saron  .  .  .  returned  to  the  Lord." 
Saron,  spoken  of  elsewhere  as  Sharon,  was 
a  fertile  plain  extending  for  a  distance  of 
253 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

thirty  miles  along  the  shore  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean Sea.  It  was  the  country  producing 
the  flowers  spoken  of  in  the  Bible  as  the  roses 
of  Sharon.  The  result  of  Peter's  miracle  was 
that  not  only  the  people  of  Lydda,  but  the 
people  of  the  plain  of  Sharon  believed  in 
Jesus  Christ.  They  believed  because  of  what 
they  had  seen  and  heard.  It  is  ever  true  that 
the  more  the  spirit  of  Christ  is  seen,  the 
more  the  people  will  desire  Him.  He  who 
would  magnify  Jesus  should  strive  to  reflect 
His  spirit  through  the  daily  life. 

The  second  miracle  mentioned  in  this  con- 
nection occurred  at  Joppa.  Joppa  was  a  sea- 
port town  on  the  Mediterannean,  about  ten 
miles  northwest  of  Lydda.  In  that  town  lived 
a  good  woman  who  was  much  loved  because 
of  deeds  of  charity.  The  woman,  Tabitha  by 
name,  though  better  known  as  Dorcas,  was  a 
believer  in  Christ.  Dorcas  was  taken  seri- 
ously sick  wliile  Peter  was  yet  in  Lydda,  and 
to  the  sorrow  of  her  many  friends  the  sick- 
ness resulted  in  death.  The  sorrowing 
friends,  hearing  that  Peter  was  in  Lydda, 
sent  to  him  urging  him  to  come  immediately 
to  Joppa.  With  much  more  detail  than  was 
given  in  the  case  of  the  miracle  at  Lydda,  the 
254 


PETER  AT  LYDDA  AND  JOPPA. 

account  tells  us  how  Peter  hurried  to  Joppa, 
came  into  the  presence  of  the  dead  woman, 
and,  having  put  the  weeping  friends  out  of 
the  room,  by  prayer  and  faith  restored  the 
dead  to  life. 

As  has  been  pointed  out,  this  was  the 
climax  of  the  miracles  of  Peter.  The  raising 
of  the  dead  to  life  is  the  climax  of  all  mir- 
acles. It  was  the  climax  of  the  miracles  of 
Jesus  Christ.  When  we  see  Peter  exercising 
this  marvelous  power  and  by  its  use  placing 
himself  by  the  side  of  his  Master,  we  see  the 
supreme  testimony  to  the  completeness  of  his 
transformation.  On  the  night  of  denial  Peter 
had  not  enough  power  to  refrain  from  lies 
and  blasphemy.  Now  he  has  enough  power 
to  raise  the  dead  to  life.  Pentecost  has  come 
between. 

Without  attempting  to  notice  the  details 
of  this  miracle,  it  will  yet  be  profitable  to 
observe  some  of  its  practical  suggestions. 
Three  of  these  are  given  here  as  worthy  of 
consideration : 

1.  The  usefulness  of  a  good  man  to  his 
fellow-men.  They  sent  for  Peter.  He  was 
ten  miles  away.  There  were  other  Christian 
men  in  Joppa,  but  they  wanted  Peter.    They 

255 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

knew  that  he  was  a  man  of  God  who  could 
help  them  in  their  distress.  It  is  a  splendid 
thing  to  be  so  good  and  so  trusted  that  others 
feel  that  you  can  help  them  in  time  of  need. 
It  is  a  compliment  of  the  highest  type  to  be 
sent  for  to  bring  consolation  to  those  who 
suffer.  It  is  a  compliment,  however,  which 
every  Christian  ought  to  merit. 

It  is  well  that  there  are  Christian  friends 
who  can  help  in  time  of  need,  but  it  is  better 
still  that  there  is  a  Divine  Friend  who  may 
be  called  upon  by  every  distressed  soul,  even 
Christ  the  Son  of  God.  His  presence  is  more 
valuable  than  that  of  even  the  good  man  of 
God.  He  is  the  best  Friend  in  joy  or  sorrow. 
When  Robert  G.  Ingersoll  died,  his  wife  was 
prostrated  with  grief  and  refused  to  be  con- 
soled. She  could  not  bear  the  thought  of 
giving  up  the  body  for  cremation,  but  wanted 
to  keep  the  lifeless  clay  as  long  as  possible. 
Her  mourning  was  hopeless.  The  separation 
was  for  her  an  eternal  one,  and  hence  no  con- 
solation could  be  offered.  But  if  the  mourn- 
ing woman  could  have  taken  the  Son  of  God 
by  faith  for  her  Friend,  she  would  have  re- 
ceived consolation  for  her  troubled  heart  and 
Avould  have  found  the  grace  of  the  Lord  suf- 
256 


PETER  AT  LYDDA  AND  JOPPA. 

ficient.    The  best  Friend  to  send  for  in  time 
of  trouble  is  Jesus  the  Comforter. 

2.  The  influence  of  a  good  life  lives  after 
the  life  has  ended.  Though  dead,  Dorcas  still 
lived  in  the  lives  of  those  whom  she  had  be- 
friended. One  of  the  most  touching  scenes 
depicted  in  the  Word  is  that  of  those  women 
standing  over  the  corpse  with  tears  in  their 
eyes  and  with  anguish  written  in  their  faces, 
holding  in  their  hands  the  garments  those 
dead  hands  had  made.  By  their  actions  the 
women  were  saying  that  though  the  body 
must  disappear,  they  would  yet  keep  and 
value  the  mementos  the  body  had  touched. 
It  is  strange  how  some  object  otherwise  all 
but  worthless  will  suddenly  become  very  val- 
uable when  one  who  used  it  or  touched  it 
has  gone  away  never  to  return.  A  pair  of 
baby  shoes,  a  lock  of  hair,  an  old  book,  or 
a  withered  flower  will  often  tell  the  story  of 
a  life  which  though  now  gone  is  still  making 
its  impression  on  other  lives.  Dorcas  was 
a  good  woman  and  had  left  a  good  impres- 
sion on  all  who  knew  her.  Those  whom  she 
had  befriended  were  now  attempting  to  show 
their  love  for  their  benefactor  by  fondly  dis- 
playing the  garments  she  had  made  for  them. 

"  257 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

It  pays  to  live  such  a  life  that  others  by  it 
are  influenced  for  good.  Such  a  life  is  a 
blessing  to  itself  and  to  others  while  it  lives, 
and  after  it  is  gone  it  "will  still  continue  to 
be  of  blessed  memory  to  many.  After  the 
body  of  Daniel  Webster  had  been  laid  to  rest 
an  admiring  friend  was  accustomed  to  visit 
his  grave,  and  upon  one  occasion,  while 
wringing  his  hands  in  sorrow,  the  friend  was 
heard  to  exclaim,  '^0  Daniel  Webster,  the 
world  is  lonesome  without  you."  The  aim 
of  every  true  life  should  be  to  live  so  help- 
fully that  after  it  is  gone  there  will  be  a  sense 
of  infinite  loss  felt  in  the  community  from 
which  it  departs. 

3.  The  secret  of  usefulness  is  in  com- 
munion ivith  God.  Peter  prayed.  He  prayed 
alone.  There  are  times  when  one  needs  to 
be  alone  with  God.  Peter  felt  such  a  need 
at  this  time.  He  was  facing  the  most  difficult 
task  he  ever  faced,  that  of  raising  the  dead 
to  life.  He  knew  his  source  of  strength  was 
in  God.  So  he  prayed.  It  would  be  well  for 
every  disciple  to  learn  the  lesson  of  depend- 
ence as  well  as  Peter  had  learned  it.  He 
learned  his  lesson  by  bitter  experience.    Not 

258 


PETER  AT  LYDDA  AND  JOPPA. 

all  will  have  the  bitter  experience,  but  the 
lesson  needs  to  be  learned.  When  a  great 
trial  comes,  or  a  crisis  is  faced,  the  source  of 
strength  is  the  Lord.  The  life  that  then  looks 
to  God  through  prayer  and  dwells  with  Him 
by  private  communion  will  be  the  victorious 
life. 

Observe,  however,  that  Peter  did  more 
than  pray.  He  rose  from  his  knees  to  act. 
He  put  to  service  the  power  he  had  taken 
from  the  altar  of  prayer.  He  said  to  the 
dead  woman,  "Tabitha,  arise."  The  woman 
opened  her  eyes,  and  when  she  saw  Peter  she 
sat  up,  and  he  presented  her  alive  to  her 
friends.  It  was  a  marvelous  deed ;  the  climax 
of  all  Peter's  acts.  But  again  we  need  to 
remark  that  it  was  not  Peter  who  did  the 
miracle,  but  the  Lord  working  through  Peter. 
The  preparation  of  Peter  as  the  agency  for 
the  miracle  was  completed  on  his  knees  in 
the  act  of  prayer.  He  who  would  be  power- 
ful in  life  must  be  fervent  in  prayer. 

The  closing  verse  of  this  narrative  re- 
veals something  of  the  sanctifying  influence 
of  the  spirit  of  Christ  upon  a  life.  The  state- 
ment is  made  that  Peter  tarried  many  days 
259 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

with  one  Simon  a  tanner.  There  is  a  world 
of  meaning  in  that  verse.  It  shows  that  a 
mighty  stop  in  breaking  down  Jewish  preju- 
dice had  been  taken  in  the  life  of  Peter.  A 
tanner  was  looked  upon  as  one  unclean  by 
the  Jews  because  of  his  business.  He  was 
therefore  shunned  by  the  average  Jew.  Yet 
here  was  Peter  stopping  with  a  tanner.  He 
could  not  have  done  that  a  few  months  before. 
If  such  a  thing  had  been  suggested,  he  would 
have  taken  it  as  an  insult.  But  now  he  is 
different.  The  spirit  of  Christ  has  been 
working  in  his  nature  and  he  is  greatlj^ 
changed.  Only  once  after  this  do  we  see  even 
a  glimpse  of  the  former  spirit  displayed,  and 
that  is  when  Paul  censured  Peter  for  reveal- 
ing a  little  Jewish  prejudice  at  Antioch.  But 
old  things  are  now  passing  away.  The  spirit 
of  love  and  brotherhood  is  now  filling  him. 
Such  is  always  the  effect  of  the  spirit  of 
Christ  on  the  life.  It  creates  an  interest  in 
and  a  love  for  all.  He  who  shuns  another 
because  he  is  poor  or  ignorant,  or  because 
he  happens  to  be  unfortunate,  has  not  the 
spirit  of  Christ.  The  Christ-spirit  loves  and 
helps  all.    Before  one  becomes  useful  in  the 

260 


PETER  AT  LYDDA  AND  JOPPA. 

largest  degree  lie  must  possess  that  spirit. 
A  splendid  liint  as  to  the  manner  of  obtaining 
it  is  seen  in  this  case  of  Peter.  Such  prayer 
and  work  as  characterized  his  life  at  this 
time  will  result  in  the  possession  of  the  true 
Christ-spirit. 


261 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

PETER  AND  CORNELIUS. 

The  decline  of  Jewish  prejudice  in  the  life 
of  Peter  was  evidenced,  as  was  stated  in  the 
last  chapter,  by  the  fact  of  his  lodging  with 
Simon  the  tanner.  Another  evidence  of  that 
decline  was  seen  in  the  case  of  Peter's  deal- 
ing with  Cornelius.  The  experience  with 
Simon,  however,  was  a  preparation  for  the 
experience  with  Cornelius,  hence  should  be 
noticed  carefully.  The  greatness  of  Peter's 
condescension  in  stopping  at  the  house  of 
Simon  the  tanner  is  seen  in  observing  the 
condition  of  the  latter  as  viewed  from  the 
Jewish  standpoint.  Simon  was  of  a  class 
much  despised  by  the  Jews.  His  residence 
was  by  the  seaside,  because  a  tanner  was 
obliged  by  law  to  have  his  place  of  business 
at  least  fifty  cubits  from  the  limits  of  a  town. 
Simon  evidently  had  his  business  in  connec- 
tion with  his  residence  by  the  seaside.  The 
tanner  was  looked  upon  with  such  contempt 
that  special  regulations  were  passed  for  his 
262       . 


PETER  AND  CORNELIUS. 

control.  If  a  tanner  married  without  inform- 
ing his  intended  Avif e  of  the  nature  of  his  busi- 
ness, that  fact  alone  was  sufficient  ground 
for  a  divorce.  The  Jews  had  a  law  requiring 
the  childless  widow  to  marry  a  brother  of  her 
deceased  husband.  But  if  that  brother  hap- 
pened to  be  a  tanner,  the  law  was  set  aside 
by  that  fact.  There  was  a  gulf  fixed  between 
the  tanner  and  good  Jewish  society.  Yet  here 
we  find  Peter  overleaping  all  these  prejudices 
and  lodging  with  Simon  the  tanner.  Like  one 
presenting  an  interesting  drama,  the  author 
of  Acts  ushers  Peter  into  the  home  of  Simon 
and  then  drops  the  curtain  upon  the  scene. 
But  the  events  behind  the  scene  helped  pre- 
pare the  way  for  another  soon  to  follow. 

When  the  curtain  rises  again  the  scene 
has  shifted  to  the  city  of  Caesarea.  This  was 
a  city  of  considerable  importance,  situated 
on  the  shore  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  about 
thirty  miles  north  of  Joppa  and  seventy  miles 
northwest  of  Jerusalem.  Josephus  called  it 
a  city  of  palaces.  Its  magnificence  was  due 
to  Herod  the  Great,  who  built  and  named  it 
after  Caesar  Augustus.  According  to  Jo- 
sephus, Herod  **  built  it  all  of  white  stone, 
adorned  it  with  most  splendid  palaces  and 
263 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

.  .  .  with  a  harbor  that  was  at  all  times 
free  from  the  waves  of  the  sea."  The  in- 
habitants of  the  city  were  largely  Gentiles, 
though  there  were  some  Jews  there.  The 
Greek  language  was  the  one  in  common  use. 
This  city  under  the  Romans  became  the  home 
of  the  procurators  and  the  headquarters  of 
the  Roman  troops  stationed  in  Judea.  In 
this  city  lived  Cornelius,  the  Roman  cen- 
turion, who  is  the  cliief  figure  in  the  incident 
now  before  us. 

In  Peter's  experience  with  Cornelius  we 
have  presented  an  instance  of  the  mysterious 
way  in  which  the  providence  of  God  some- 
times moves  to  perform  its  wonders.  In  the 
providence  of  God  the  time  had  now  arrived 
when  the  door  of  salvation  was  to  be  thrown 
open  to  the  Gentiles  as  well  as  the  Jews. 
Peter  and  Cornelius  were  agencies  through 
which  Providence  worked,  but  the  method 
employed  was  that  of  the  mysterious  visions 
sent  to  both  men.  Before  going  further  into 
the  incident,  it  will  be  well  to  notice  the  char- 
acter of  Cornelius. 

It  is  one  of  the  incongruities  of  human 
life  that  characters  are  sometimes  found 
completely  out  of  harmony  with  their  en- 
264 


PETER  AND  CORNELIUS. 

vironments.  History  reveals  men  in  advance 
of  their  age.  Men  are  often  found  who  in 
disposition  and  in  culture  are  far  beyond 
their  surroundings.  Cornelius  was  a  man  of 
this  kind.  He  was  a  Roman,  but  far  ahead 
of  the  average  Roman  in  morality  and  re- 
ligion. He  was  ahead  of  the  average  J6w 
also  in  these  same  respects.  He  is  described 
in  the  Word  as  being  "a  devout  man  and 
one  who  feared  God  with  all  his  house,  which 
gave  much  alms  to  the  people,  and  prayed  to 
God  alway. ' '  Cornelius  was  an  officer  in  the 
Roman  army,  occupying  the  position  of  a 
centurion.  A  centurion  was  a  commander  of 
one  hundred  men,  the  company  being  called 
a  century.  Two  centuries  were  united  to 
form  a  band.  Cornelius  was  one  of  the  cen- 
turions of  the  band  called  the  Italian  band, 
a  body  of  two  hundred  men.  Three  bands 
were  united  in  the  Roman  army  to  form  a 
cohort,  this  being  a  body  of  six  hundred  men. 
Ten  cohorts  formed  the  famous  Roman 
legion,  which  marched  six  thousand  strong. 

While  occupying  the  position  of  a  stern 
warrior,  Cornelius  was  yet  a  devout  man. 
The  word  ** devout"  as  used  in  this  connec- 
tion implies,  as  is  indicated  by  the  original 
265 


THE  EXiU^TED  FISHERMAN. 

Greek  word,  a  genuine  piety.  In  spite  of  a 
position  that  was  calculated  to  produce  any- 
thing but  piety,  Cornelius  was  deeply  re- 
ligious. This  fact  is  significant.  It  suggests 
the  possibility  of  religious  character  irre- 
spective of  environment.  Cornelius  was  liv- 
ing in  a  very  trying  place  for  a  godly  man. 
He  was  a  victim  of  those  environments  so 
common  to  the  life  of  a  soldier.  In  this  land 
in  time  of  war  many  a  loving  mother  has  sent 
her  stainless  boy  to  the  army  and  into  the 
field,  only  to  have  him  returned  to  her  later 
all  corrupted  by  the  practices  of  army  life. 
Sin  surrounds  the  camp  of  the  soldier  usu- 
ally. Cornelius  lived  in  the  midst  of  such 
surroundings  as  corrupt  life.  He  was  doubt- 
less subject,  too,  to  some  persecutions  be- 
cause of  his  faith.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  Cornelius  was  a  Roman.  He  would 
naturally  be  expected  to  be  a  supporter  of 
the  Roman  religion,  and  offer  his  prayers  to 
Jupiter  or  some  unknown  heathen  god.  But 
he  had  cut  loose  from  the  Roman  religion  and 
was  offering  his  prayers  to  the  God  of  the 
Jews.  He  feared  God  with  all  his  house  and 
prayed  to  God  alway,  the  account  says.  This 
might  easily  be  considered  an  act  of  disloy- 
266 


PETER  AND  jCORNELIUS. 

alty  from  the  standpoint  of  the  Romans,  and 
because  of  it  Cornelius  might  have  suffered 
some  persecution  from  Roman  hands.  Nev- 
ertheless, we  find  him  true  to  God  and  devout 
in  his  life.  He  led  a  religious  life  in  irre- 
ligious surroundings. 

A  Christian  life  can  be  lived  anjnvhere. 
The  assertion  is  sometimes  made  that  it  is 
impossible  to  live  a  Christian  life  in  a  cer- 
tain business  or  in  a  certain  place.  Such  a 
statement  is  an  excuse  offered  to  justify  a 
shameful  absence  of  moral  courage.  There 
are  certain  trying  places  in  which,  because 
of  moral  weakness,  men  fail  to  maintain  a 
Christian  life.  But  their  failure  does  not 
justify  the  claim  that  the  Christian  life  can 
not  be  lived  there.  The  Christian  life  can 
be  lived  in  any  sort  of  surroundings.  That 
fact  has  been  proven  over  and  over.  But  if 
such  a  life  is  lived,  there  are  some  require- 
ments that  must  be  met.  Two  of  these  are 
worthy  of  emphasis : 

First,  there  must  be  the  spirit  and  cour- 
age of  perseverance.  That  is  the  spirit  that 
wins  elsewhere.  Grit  in  the  Christian  life  is 
as  essential  as  in  any  other  phase  of  life.  No 
man  can  expect  to  become  great  in  learning 
267 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

without  making  an  heroic  effort.  Lincoln 
reading  by  the  light  of  pine  knots,  and  Gar- 
field sweeping  rooms  to  pay  school  expenses, 
are  examples  of  the  price  that  must  be  paid 
for  learning.  In  business  the  law  is  the  same. 
The  foundation  of  the  Vanderbilt  wealth  was 
simply  the  grit  and  perseverance  of  one  Cor- 
nelius, who  began  life  as  a  poor  boy.  And  the 
story  of  many  of  the  rich  is  that  they  have 
come  up  through  tribulation.  The  law  of 
culture  is  likewise  that  of  toil  and  courage. 
The  musicians,  artists,  and  orators  who  have 
risen  to  the  top  have  been  those  who  have 
had  the  grit  to  surmount  great  difficulties. 
And  if  this  is  the  law  elsewhere,  we  need  not 
be  surprised  to  find  it  is  the  law  of  the  re- 
ligious life.  A  person  who  has  not  the  pluck 
to  amount  to  anything  elsewhere  has  a  poor 
show  in  the  religious  life.  And  the  reverse 
is  just  as  true.  A  person  who  can  not  amount 
to  anything  in  religion  has  a  poor  show  else- 
where. 

Second,  there  must  be  dependence  on  di- 
vine leadership.  Human  tenacity  is  good,  but 
it  is  not  enough.  Man's  determination  may 
produce  a  morality,  but  it  can  not  produce 
spiritual  growth.  That  must  come  from  di- 
268 


PETER  AND  CORNELIUS. 

vine  aid.  The  one  who  would  attain  a  spir- 
itual growth  which  will  enable  him  to  live  a 
Christian  life  anywhere  must  feed  himself  on 
the  truth  of  God's  Word,  commune  with  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  prayer,  and  avail  himself 
of  every  possible  means  of  grace.  Human 
grit  must  be  supplemented  by  the  indwelling 
of  the  Divine  Spirit. 

Where  these  two  elements  are  found  it 
is  possible  to  live  the  Christian  life  in  spite 
of  adverse  surroundings.  Such  living  has 
often  been  witnessed.  Cornelius  in  the  rough 
army  life  was  an  example.  The  martyrs,  in 
spite  of  threatened  death,  so  lived.  Many 
faithful  witnesses  for  the  Lord  in  business, 
in  the  professions,  in  shops,  on  the  railroads, 
and  in  other  places  where  sin  abounds,  are 
living  the  faithful  life  even  to-day.  He  who 
can  not  live  such  a  life  is  hardly  worthy  of 
the  name  of  Christian.  These  faithful  ones 
are  they  who  win  and  wear  the  crown  at  last. 
John  in  his  vision  learned  that  the  ones 
clothed  in  white  around  the  throne  of  God 
were  those  who  had  come  up  through  tribu- 
lation. In  the  trying  places  of  earth  they 
had  faithfully  lived  their  lives  and  had  at 
last  come  to  their  reward  of  crown  and  robes. 
269 


f 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

It  is  significant  that  a  character  like  Cor- 
nelius should  receive  a  revelation  from  God. 
The  Heavenly  Father  is  ever  ready  to  speak 
to  those  who  are  ready  to  hear.  He  is  ready 
to  use  those  who  are  ready  to  be  used.  Cor- 
nelius was  ready  for  the  vision  when  it  came. 
When  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to  the 
pious  centurion,  he  evidenced  his  readiness 
for  the  revelation  by  saying,  ''What  is  it, 
Lord?"  The  reply  of  the  angel  emphasizes 
the  importance  of  prayer  and  righteousness : 
"Thy  prayers  and  thine  alms  are  come  up 
for  a  memorial  before  God. "  God  had  better 
things  in  store  for  a  man  who  could  pray 
and  live  like  Cornelius.  The  purpose  of  God 
for  Cornelius  was  revealed  in  the  instruction 
to  send  to  Joppa  and  inquire  for  one  Simon 
Peter,  who  lodged  with  Simon  the  tanner. 
AVlien  Simon  Peter  was  found  he  would  give 
instruction  as  to  what  should  be  done  further. 
The  instructions  of  the  angel  were  carried 
out,  Cornelius  sending  three  messengers  to 
Joppa  to  inquire  for  and  learn  of  Peter. 

As  interesting  as  any  fiction  is  the  story 

of  the  method  by  which  God  prepared  Peter 

for  the  reception  of  these  messengers,  and 

for  the  work  He  desired  Peter  to  do.    A  sec- 

270 


PETER  AND  CORNELIUS. 

ond  vision  sent  to  Peter  at  Joppa  supple- 
mented the  one  sent  to  Cornelius  at  CsBsarea. 
It  was  a  vision  of  a  vessel  like  a  great  sheet 
let  down  from  heaven  and  containing  all 
manner  of  four-footed  beasts  and  creeping 
things  and  fowls  of  the  air.  Of  these  Peter 
was  commanded  to  kill  and  eat.  What  that 
command  meant  to  Peter  can  be  understood 
only  by  recalling  the  common  Jewish  training 
and  prejudice.  The  Mosaic  law  described 
numerous  beasts  and  creeping  things  as  un- 
clean, and  he  who  touched  them  was  also  con- 
sidered unclean.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
Daniel  and  his  companions  chose  to  live  on 
pulse  rather  than  defile  themselves  with  the 
king's  meat,  which  they  considered  unclean. 
Instances  are  on  record  wherein  Jews  have 
suffered  death  rather  than  permit  themselves 
to  become  unclean  by  eating  the  flesh  of 
smne.  In  the  light  of  such  a  belief  among 
the  Jews,  we  need  not  be  surprised  that  Peter 
refused  the  request  to  eat  of  those  animals, 
declaring  that  he  had  never  eaten  anything 
common  or  unclean.  This  refusal  offered  the 
opportunity  for  the  Lord  to  teach  a  desired 
lesson,  so  Peter  heard  the  strange  words, 
''What  God  hath  cleansed  that  call  not  thou 
271 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

common."  Three  times  was  the  lesson 
taught,  and  while  Peter  stood  wondering 
what  it  might  all  mean,  the  solution  came 
in  the  appearance  of  the  three  messengers 
from  Cornelius  asking  Peter  to  come  with 
them  to  Caesarea  and  teach  the  Roman  cen- 
turion the  things  he  needed  to  know  concern- 
ing Christ.  Then  Peter  understood  the 
vision.  The  Romans  and  other  Gentiles  were 
considered  unclean  by  the  Jews.  But  this 
Roman  at  Caesarea  God  had  cleansed  and 
would  send  Peter  as  a  messenger  to  teach 
him  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  This  fact 
taught  the  larger  fact  that  the  Gentiles  were 
to  be  the  objects  of  God's  favor  as  well  as 
the  Jews.  Them  God  had  cleansed.  What 
He  had  cleansed  Peter  had  no  right  to  call 
unclean.  Peter  learned  the  lesson.  So  we 
see  this  strict  Jew  again  breaking  through 
the  wall  of  Jewish  prejudice  and  going  down 
to  Caesarea,  and  there  preaching  the  gospel 
to  a  despised  Roman  with  such  power  that 
not  only  he,  but  all  who  heard  him  were  filled 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  baptized  into  the 
new  faith. 

Here  was  the  great  object  at  which  God 
had  been  aiming  all  through  that  process  of 
272 


PETER  AND  CORNELIUS. 

visions  and  journeyings.  It  was  the  offering 
of  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles.  By  that  process 
a  great  and  effectual  door  was  opened 
through  which  all  nations  might  pass  into 
the  Kingdom  of  Christ.  The  two  hinges  of 
that  door  were  a  pious  Gentile  and  a  pious 
Jew,  both  of  whom  were  much  given  to 
prayer. 

Some  observations  helpful  to  the  Chris- 
tian life  of  to-day  may  be  drawn  from  this  an- 
cient incident.  It  suggests  that  our  decided 
advances  in  the  religious  life  are  made  largely 
through  prayer.  Peter  and  Cornelius  were  ^-'■ 
both  at  prayer  when  their  revelations  came 
from  the  Lord.  It  is  the  spirit  of  prayer 
that  gives  opportunity  for  God  to  send  to 
our  lives  the  visions  and  experiences  He 
would  have  us  receive.  Failure  to  possess 
the  spirit  of  prayer  has  robbed  many  a  soul 
of  the  visions  God  has  wanted  to  send.  How- 
ever magnificent  may  be  the  visions  awaiting 
us  in  the  providence  of  God,  they  will  never 
be  received  unless  we  attain  through  com- 
munion with  God  that  susceptibility  of  soul 
making  possible  the  impressing  of  the 
heaven-sent  picture. 

Again,  the  mysterious  circumstances  of  .^~- 

"  273 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

life  are  often  God's  preparation  for  higher 
experiences  and  more  useful  service.  The 
visions  were  strange  to  both  Peter  and  Cor- 
nelius. The  mysteries  were  not  understood 
at  first,  but  the  men  followed  the  divine  lead- 
ing and  were  brought  to  a  larger  experience. 
In  the  life  of  mankind  it  is  often  true  that 
the  season  of  sorrow,  of  misfortune,  perhaps 
of  death  has  come,  and  with  it  a  sense  of  mys- 
tery. Why  such  experiences  should  come  is 
more  than  the  unfortunate  victim  can  under- 
stand. Yet  often  it  is  discovered  that  God's 
shaping  hand  is  moving  through  the  trial, 
and  the  sufferer  finds  himself  possessed  of 
a  quality  of  life  or  a  power  for  usefulness 
which  he  had  never  thought  to  possess.  The 
mysterious  and  dreaded  circumstances  have 
afforded  God  the  opportunity  for  developing 
a  life. 

The  truth  is  likewise  suggested  here  that 
-in  leading  His  people  onward  God  opens  one 
door  at  a  time.  Peter's  experience  here  is 
interesting.  In  leading  him  away  from  nar- 
row Judaism  to  a  broader  Christianity,  God 
first  opened  the  door  to  Samaria  and  we  find 
Peter  working  there  among  those  who  were 
half  Gentile  and  thoroughly  disliked.  Next 
274 


PETER  AND  CORNELIUS. 

we  see  the  door  opened  to  the  home  of  a  de- 
spised tanner,  and  at  Simon's  table  in  Joppa 
Peter  came  in  personal  touch  with  one  con- 
sidered unclean.  And  finally,  in  the  case  of 
Cornelius  we  see  him  led  through  the  larger 
door  of  gospel  privilege  for  the  entire  Gen- 
tile world. 

This  is  God's  way  with  His  children. 
Step  by  step  He  leads  us  on.  Door  after 
door  He  opens  for  us.  And  the  amount  of 
our  advancement  is  measured  by  our  willing- 
ness to  enter  these  doors.  This  being  true, 
the  question  of  the  Christian  should  be  that 
of  the  pious  Roman  soldier,  ''What  is  it, 
Lordf  What  door  shall  I  enter  next?"  We 
need  not  ask  to  see  the  distant  way,  but  in 
the  spirit  of  the  old  song  ever  say,  "One 
step  enough  for  me."  He  who,  like  Cor- 
nelius, attains  to  the  spirit  of  constant  prayer 
and  remains  willing  to  be  led  one  step  at  a 
time,  is  one  whose  future  is  safe  for  time  and 
eternity.  God  will  lead  him  through  many 
opening  doors  to  larger  fields  and  broader 
visions. 


275 


CHAPTER  XX. 
PETER  HEROD'S  VICTIM. 

The  action  of  Peter  in  preaching  to  the  Gen- 
tiles at  Caesarea  and  elsewhere,  and  baptiz- 
ing them  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  was  decidedly 
heretical  in  the  eyes  of  the  more  orthodox 
Jews  at  Jerusalem.  When  they  heard  of 
Peter's  conduct  they  determined  to  give  the 
offender  a  severe  chastisement  for  his  sup- 
posed breach  of  faith.  Their  opportunity 
came  when  Peter  returned  to  Jerusalem. 
One  who  has  noticed  the  excitable  nature 
of  the  Jew  as  manifested  both  in  hot  words 
and  nervous  actions  can  imagine  the  scene 
upon  Peter's  arrival  at  Jerusalem.  The 
Jews  gathered  around  him  with  bitter  re- 
proaches. They  freely  condemned  him  for 
his  actions.  They  claimed  that  he  had  acted 
in  an  unwarranted  way  and  had  turned 
traitor  to  his  own  people  in  bearing  their 
gospel  to  the  despised  Gentiles.  With  that 
scathing  sarcasm  that  only  an  excited  Jew 
could  display,  they  said,  ''Thou  wentest  in 
276 


PETER  HEROD'S  VICTIM. 

to  men  uncircmncised  and  did  eat  with 
them. ' '  The  accusers  had  in  mind  evidently 
not  only  Peter's  experience  with  Cornelius 
at  CoBsarea,  but  also  his  conduct  toward 
Simon  the  tanner  at  Joppa. 

The  reply  which  Peter  made  to  his  ac- 
cusers should  be  carefully  noted.  He  did 
not  attempt  to  argue  the  case  with  them.  He 
simply  began  a  narration  of  the  events  that 
had  happened  in  his  recent  experience.  He 
told  of  his  strange  vision  and  its  meaning; 
of  the  call  of  the  messengers  to  come  to 
Caesarea ;  of  the  way  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on 
the  Gentiles  while  he  was  speaking  to  them. 
In  a  word,  he  simply  told  what  God  had  done 
through  him,  and  what  he  had  done  by  the 
aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  divine  leading 
in  the  case  was  so  evident  that  even  those 
prejudiced  Jews  had  to  admit  it.  As  the 
evidence  grew  conclusive  they  began  to  show 
a  more  beautiful  spirit.  They  not  only  held 
their  peace,  but  began  to  glorify  God  for 
w^hat  He  had  done  and  said,  ' '  Then  unto  the 
Gentiles  also  has  God  granted  repentance 
unto  life."  Prejudice  had  suddenly  van- 
ished. There  was  a  reason  for  it.  The  facts 
narrated  were  convincing.    The  best  possible 

277 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

way  to  overcome  the  prejudice  or  misconcep- 
tions which  otliers  may  hold  concerning  our 
lives  is  the  evidence  that  those  lives  are  God- 
led.  The  conviction  that  God's  will  is  con- 
trolling a  life  will  overthrow  prejudice  con- 
cerning it.  The  influence  of  such  a  life  will 
of  its  own  force  disarm  others  of  their  op- 
position. The  other  truth  is  also  apparent, 
that  in  spite  of  our  criticism  of  other  lives 
they  may  be  God-led,  and  therefore  we  need 
to  be  careful  lest  we  by  our  opposition  fight 
against  God. 

But  we  must  turn  now  from  this  scene 
of  the  carrying  of  the  gospel  to  the  Gen- 
tiles to  a  scene  vastly  different.  We  turn  to 
the  effort  of  certain  ungodly  ones  to  stay 
the  sweeping  tide  of  Christianity.  Herod 
Agrippa  I  was  now  ruler  over  Palestine  and 
had  identified  himself  with  the  sect  of  the 
Pharisees  in  order  to  gain  favor.  It  was 
probably  for  the  same  reason  that  he  be- 
came a  persecutor  of  the  Christians.  One 
of  the  early  victims  of  his  heartless  perse- 
cution was  James,  the  brother  of  John.  Him 
Herod  put  to  death.  James  seems  thus  to 
have  been  the  first  apostle  to  suffer  death 
for  the  Lord's  sake.  It  will  be  recalled  that 
278 


PETER  HEROD'S  VICTIM. 

this  same  James  was  one  of  the  favorite 
disciples  of  the  Lord.  He  was  one  of  the 
three  who  belonged  to  the  inner  circle  of 
Christ's  friends.  Peter,  James,  and  John 
were  the  three  forming  that  circle.  But  now 
by  the  work  of  Herod  the  circle  was  broken. 
Peter  and  John  were  permitted  to  tarry  a 
while,  but  James  was  taken.  His  death  must 
have  caused  much  sadness  to  Peter  and  John, 
but  they  never  faltered  in  their  work  for  the 
Lord.  When  Herod  saw  that  the  death  of 
James  greatly  pleased  the  Jews,  he  deter- 
mined to  continue  the  persecution.  He  next 
proceeded  to  lay  hands  on  Peter  also.  He 
probably  intended  that  Peter  should  meet 
the  same  fate  that  had  befallen  James.  The 
first  step  toward  that  ultimate  fate  was  the 
imprisonment  of  Peter.  His  place  of  con- 
finement was  probably  the  tower  of  Antonia. 
The  great  care  taken  to  keep  Peter  secure 
after  his  arrest  was  striking.  He  was 
guarded  by  four  quaternions  of  soldiers.  A 
quaternion  was  a  company  of  four.  Peter 
was  therefore  guarded  by  four  squads  of 
soldiers,  each  squad  consisting  of  four  men, 
thus  making  sixteen  in  all.  Moreover,  the 
prisoner  was  placed  in  a  cell  and  chains  were 
279 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

fastened  upon  him.  According  to  Roman 
custom,  these  chains  were  attached  also  to 
the  guarding  soldiers,  so  there  could  be  no 
possibility  of  escape.  Yet  in  spite  of  all 
these  precautions  this  unusual  prisoner  was 
strangely  delivered  from  his  enemies.  The 
cause  and  method  of  that  deliverance  are 
given  in  the  narrative  now  before  us. 

The  cause  of  the  deliverance  was,  accord- 
ing to  the  narrative,  the  prayers  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  The  account  says  that  prayer 
was  made  earnestly  of  the  Church  unto  God 
for  Peter.  These  early  disciples  were  genu- 
ine Christians  and  manifested  an  interest  in 
others.  That  interest  is  a  mark  of  the  Chris- 
tian spirit.  When  their  brother  in  the  Lord 
was  in  distress,  their  hearts  went  out  in  sym- 
pathy toward  him.  It  is  too  often  the  case 
that  Christian  people  forget  the  brother  in 
distress.  An  analysis  of  ordinary  Christian 
prayers  will  reveal  the  fact  that  petitions 
are  made  largely  for  self  and  only  in  a  small 
degree  for  others.  Often  it  is  true  that  the 
need  of  others  does  not  enter  into  the  prayer 
at  all.  A  certain  Christian  gentleman  was 
recently  passing  through  a  dark  and  trying 
experience,  and  while  he  was  in  the  midst  of 
280 


PETER  HEROD'S  VICTIM. 

the  struggle  a  Christian  lady  was  heard  to 
remark  to  a  friend,  ' '  I  never  prayed  for  any 
one  in  my  life  as  I  have  prayed  for  that 
man."  That  was  a  manifestation  of  a  beau- 
tiful Christian  spirit.  But  it  was  a  spirit 
every  Christian  should  possess.  If  Chris- 
tians gave  the  needs  of  others  a  larger  place 
in  their  prayers,  their  own  lives  would  be 
richer  and  the  world  would  be  better.  Those 
early  disciples  prayed  for  Peter,  and  that  fact 
evidently  figured  as  a  cause  in  his  deliver- 
ance. 

The  method  of  deliverance  used  in  this 
case  was  one  of  divine  appointment.  An 
angel  of  the  Lord  was  sent  to  the  prison  cell. 
The  prisoner  was  asleep.  A  touch  of  the 
angel's  hand  awoke  him.  The  picture  of  an 
angel  awakening  as  presented  here  is  a  sug- 
gestive one.  It  is  a  type  of  that  other  awak- 
ening in  which  a  spirit  messenger  arouses 
man  from  the  sleep  of  the  temporal  life  into 
the  light  of  another  and  eternal  day. 

Peter  heard  the  angel's  injunction, 
''Arise."  He  obeyed.  As  he  arose  the 
chains  fell  from  his  wrists.  "Gird  thyself 
and  bind  on  thy  sandals."  That  instruction 
was  a  promise  of  liberty.  A  journey  was  in 
281 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

prospect.  Tlie  prison  walls  were  to  be  left 
behind.  ''Cast  thy  garment  about  thee," 
continued  the  deliverer.  The  reference  here 
is  to  the  cloak  or  outer  garment  which  Peter 
had  cast  off  upon  entering  the  cell.  He  was 
now  to  walk  out  into  the  cool  night  air,  and 
the  garment  was  needed.  The  angel  led  the 
way  from  the  prison  and  Peter  followed. 
He  followed  like  a  man  in  a  dream.  The 
experience  was  exceedingly  strange,  and 
Peter,  being  just  aroused  from  his  sleep,  did 
not  comprehend  its  meaning,  but  thought  he 
saw  a  vision.  The  watching  soldiers  at  the 
door  were  safely  passed.  The  outer  wall  was 
reached  and  the  huge  iron  gate  opened  seem- 
ingly of  its  own  accord,  and  the  prisoner  and 
his  guide  passed  out  into  the  street  and  to 
liberty.  The  strong  walls  of  Antonia's 
tower,  the  chains  and  guarding  soldiers  were 
not  sufficient  to  hold  the  man  whom  God 
would  free. 

In  the  street  the  angel  left  Peter,  and  he, 
being  thoroughly  aroused  and  refreshed  by 
the  night  air,  realized  his  deliverance.  But 
where  should  the  delivered  man  go?  He  was 
in  a  dangerous  situation,  for  there  were  ene- 
mies all  around  him  in  the  city.  There  was, 
282 


PETER  HEROD'S  VICTIM. 

however,  one  home  in  that  city  in  which 
Peter  felt  he  would  be  safe,  and  in  which  he 
would  likely  meet  with  loving  friends.  It 
was  the  home  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  John 
Mark.  It  was  the  home  in  which  it  is  sup- 
posed Peter  and  John  prepared  the  Last  Sup- 
per for  the  Lord,  and  therefore  the  home  in 
which  Peter  had  declared  that  he  would  go 
with  his  Master  even  unto  death.  And  al- 
though he  had  once  proven  untrue,  he  had 
now  almost  paid  the  vow. 

Peter  went  directly  to  this  home.  While 
he  expected  to  find  there  some  very  close 
friends,  he  probably  expected  to  find  also 
some  of  the  brethren,  for  he  knew  that  in 
those  dangerous  times  of  persecution  the 
Christians  often  held  meetings  of  prayer  in 
the  night.  So  with  some  expectation  Peter 
came  to  the  gate  leading  to  the  house.  It 
will  be  recalled  that  during  the  trial  of  Jesus 
the  gate  to  the  home  of  Caiaphas  was  kept 
by  a  damsel.  Here  again  we  find  a  similar 
case.  The  outer  gate  to  which  Peter  came 
was  kept  by  a  little  maid  named  Rhoda  or 
Rose.  Peter  applied  for  admission,  and  the 
girl  upon  hearing  his  voice  recognized  it. 
Without  waiting  to  open  the  gate  to  allow 

283 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

the  escaped  prisoner  to  come  in,  she  ran  in 
her  excitement  to  tell  the  news  to  the  people 
assembled  in  the  house.  Some  uncharitable 
critics  have  stated  that  it  is  in  the  nature 
of  woman  to  covet  the  opportunity  of  being 
the  first  to  disclose  a  secret.  Whether  the 
general  accusation  be  true,  it  seems  to  have 
applied  in  the  case  of  Rhoda.  Her  surprise, 
mingled  with  her  desire  to  tell  a  great  secret 
which  would  be  a  refreshing  bit  of  good  news, 
caused  her  to  hurry  to  the  people  who  were 
at  that  moment  in  the  house  praying  for  the 
deliverance  of  Peter.  In  a  hurried  and  ex- 
cited way  Rhoda  told  her  secret.  She  had 
wanted  to  surprise  the  people,  but  the  sur- 
prise was  not  so  great  as  she  had  anticipated, 
for  the  people,  instead  of  being  surprised 
at  the  news,  simply  refused  to  believe  it. 
They  even  surprised  the  girl  herself  by  de- 
claring that  she  was  mad.  But  as  that  accu- 
sation seemed  a  little  severe,  they  changed 
it  and  said  that  Rhoda  had  seen  a  vision,  or 
perhaps  the  angel  of  Peter  had  appeared. 
But  they  were  sure  she  had  not  seen  or  heard 
Peter  himself.  But  the  girl 's  persistency  had 
some  effect,  and  while  they  were  discussing 
the  matter*  they  began  to  move  out  toward 
284 


PETER  HEROD'S  VICTIM. 

the  gate.  Listening,  they  themselves  heard 
a  knocking,  and  upon  opening  the  gate  found 
themselves  standing  face  to  face  with  the  de- 
livered apostle.  Peter,  after  quieting  their 
exclamations  of  surprise,  explained  the  proc- 
ess of  his  escape  to  them.  Peter  also  re- 
vealed immediately  a  spirit  that  was  certainly 
commendable.  He  so  far  forgot  himself  and 
his  danger  that  he  could  apply  himself  to 
the  needs  of  others.  He  remembered  that 
there  were  in  Jerusalem  many  brethren  who 
would  be  glad  not  only  for  his  deliverance, 
but  also  for  the  evidence  of  the  Lord's  pres- 
ence and  power  in  that  deliverance.  Hence 
he  gave  instructions  for  the  news  to  be  car- 
ried at  once  to  the  brethren.  One  of  these 
brethren  is  mentioned  specifically.  It  is 
James.  The  James  mentioned  is  not  the  son 
of  Zebedee,  but  as  many  scholars  suppose,  is 
James  the  brother  of  the  Lord.  As  to  Peter 
himself,  we  are  told  only  that  "he  departed 
and  went  into  another  place."  This  state- 
ment is  with  one  exception  the  last  one  made 
concerning  Peter  in  the  Book  of  Acts.  The 
** other  place"  spoken  of  was  doubtless  some 
place  of  safety  and  retirement  outside  the 
city,  the  exact  spot  being  unknown.  With 
285 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Peter  in  that  place  of  safety,  we  will  let  the 
curtain  drop  on  his  life  for  the  period  now 
being  considered. 

This  incident  is  suggestive  of  several 
valuable  truths,  which  we  will  notice  as  we 
close  the  study: 

1.  God  is  mighty  to  deliver  in  spite  of 
human  machinations.  All  the  precautions  of 
Herod  were  as  nothing  in  the  face  of  God's 
purpose  to  deliver  Peter.  Man's  best  laid 
plans  are  insufficient  to  overturn  the  pur- 
poses of  God.  God's  pre-eminence  is  the 
guarantee  of  the  soul 's  security.  To  the  soul 
that  trusts  in  Him  there  is  given  a  way  of 
escape  from  every  temptation  that  allures 
and  every  chain  that  fetters. 

2.  Prayer  is  mightier  than  prison  bars. 
Prayer  offered  by  Peter's  friends  found  its 
way  to  the  throne  of  God,  and  God  in  re- 
sponse opened  the  door  of  Peter's  prison 
cell.  This  is  the  method  of  prayer.  Ef- 
fective prayer  avails  wdth  God,  and  He  in 
turn  reaches  through  His  power  the  object  of 
the  prayer.  Prayer  thus  becomes  the  instru- 
ment by  which  the  greatest  victories  of  God 's 
people  are  gained. 

3.  Consciousness  of  being  right  with  God 

286 


PETER  HEROD'S  VICTIM. 

gives  a  peace  that  nothing  can  disturb.  That 
is  a  striking  picture  which  represents  Peter 
as  sleeping  calmly  in  the  prison  cell.  The 
surroundings  were  undesirable.  Death  was 
perhaps  waiting  on  the  morrow.  But  Peter 
was  sleeping  peacefully.  The  secret  of  his 
peace  was  his  rightness  with  God.  In  life 
or  death  he  was  the  Lord's.  The  conscious- 
ness of  being  right  with  God  gives  a  peace 
which  abides  amidst  the  accusations  of  ene- 
mies and  the  hardships  of  the  world.  In- 
justices may  be  meted  out  and  disappoint- 
ments may  come,  but  a  calmness  reigns  in 
the  soul. 

4.  Christians  are  often  too  unready  to 
accept  God's  answers  to  their  prayers.  Peter 
appeared  before  his  friends  at  the  very  time 
they  were  praying  for  his  deliverance.  Yet 
they  were  unready  to  believe  that  he  had 
been  delivered.  They  could  not  believe  that 
the  very  thing  for  which  they  had  been  ear- 
nestly praying  had  happened.  In  other 
words,  they  could  not  believe  their  prayers 
had  been  answered.  This  is  a  failing  of 
Christian  people  all  too  common.  We  pray 
and  are  surprised  when  God  answers  our 
prayers.    God  answers  prayer.    The  answer 

287 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

is  not  always  in  the  manner  anticipated.  It 
may  be  in  a  manner  altogether  different. 
But  He  answers.  It  is  desirable  for  the 
Christian  to  possess  such  a  faith  in  God  that 
if  the  praj^ers  are  answered  exactly  as  ex- 
pected the  answer  is  not  dishonored  by  un- 
belief; and  if  the  prayer  be  answered  in  a 
manner  unexpected,  the  answer  is  still  ac- 
cepted in  a  spirit  of  believing  humility.  The 
followers  of  Him  who  promised  to  answer 
prayer  should  not  be  guilty  of  the  incongruity 
of  offering  prayer  but  refusing  to  accept  its 
answer. 


288 


PART  THREE. 

THE  DAYS  OF  DECLINE. 

(From  the  Council   at  Jerusalem,  51   A.   D.,  to  the 
Death  of  Peter.) 


CHAPTEE  XXI 

THE  CONFERENCE  AT  JERUSALEM. 

In  a  former  chapter  the  statement  was  made 
that  upon  the  appearance  of  Paul  in  early 
Church  history,  Peter  began  to  decline  in 
prominence  and  finally  disappeared,  so  far  as 
the  history  of  him  in  the  Book  of  Acts  is 
concerned.  In  the  incident  we  are  now  to 
consider,  the  conference  at  Jerusalem,  we 
get  the  last  glimpse  of  Peter  furnished  in 
the  Book  of  Acts.  This  conference  was  the 
first  and  one  of  the  most  important  councils 
in  Church  history.  In  it  Peter  acts  as  one  of 
the  leading  figures,  sharing  prominence  with 
Paul,  Barnabas,  and  James. 

The  conference  at  Jerusalem  occurred 
about  the  year  51  A.  D.,  according  to  well- 
accepted  chronology.  The  necessity  for  the 
conference  was  found  in  a  dispute  amounting 
almost  to  a  dissension,  which  arose  in  the 
early  Church  concerning  the  question  of  cir- 
cumcision. The  rapid  growth  of  Christianity 
291 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

had  broug'lit  a  mixed  multitude  into  the  fel- 
lowship of  the  Church.  Converts  were  made 
not  only  from  among  the  Jews,  but  many 
were  added  from  Gentile  sources  through  the 
Avork  of  Peter  and  Paul.  It  was  natural  that 
the  Jewish  converts  should  cling  to  their  Jew- 
ish traditions  and  be  influenced  by  their  Jew- 
ish prejudices.  Inasmuch  as  it  had  been 
customary  under  the  old  traditions  for  prose- 
lytes to  be  initiated  into  Jewish  fellowship 
by  circumcision,  it  was  natural  for  the  Jews 
to  believe  that  Gentiles  coming  into  Christian 
fellowship  should  submit  to  the  same  cere- 
mony, and  especially  since  Christianity  origi- 
nated among  the  Jews  and  was  an  offshoot 
of  Judaism.  Two  classes  of  believers,  there- 
fore, grew  up  in  the  Christian  Church,  and 
became  more  and  more  distinct.  One  class 
was  composed  of  those  so  colored  by  former 
Judaistic  ideas  that  they  demanded  that  all 
Gentile  converts  be  circumcised.  The  other 
was  composed  of  a  broader  and  spiritual 
class  of  people  who  saw  more  clearly  the 
meaning  of  the  gospel  and  who  believed  that 
the  circumcision  of  the  Gentiles  w^as  an 
unnecessary  and  burdensome  requirement. 
The  controversy  was  one  which  was  evidently 
292 


THE  CONFERENCE  AT  JERUSALEM. 

hotly  waged.  One  might  expect  it  to  be  .1 
warmly  debated  question  when  one  recalls 
on  the  one  hand  the  wall  which  for  ages  had 
separated  the  Jew  from  the  Gentile,  and  on 
the  other  hand  the  natural  devotion  of  the 
Jew  to  his  old  customs  and  traditions.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  the  disputed  question 
brought  the  Church  face  to  face  with  a 
crisis. 

The  importance  of  this  debated  question 
is  realized  when  one  stops  to  consider  what 
the  consequences  might  have  been  had  the 
question  been  settled  differently.  A  contrary 
decision  would  doubtless  have  placed  upon 
Christianity  a  yoke  the  burden  of  which 
would  have  been  too  heavy  to  bear.  Com- 
pulsory circumcision  would  have  placed  ex- 
ceedingly narrow  limits  upon  Christianity. 
More  than  that,  the  emphasizing  of  an  ex- 
ternal ceremony  as  an  essential  would  have 
obscured  the  real  spirit  of  Christianity.  The 
letter  wliich  killeth  would  have  been  substi- 
tuted for  the  spirit  which  maketh  alive.  The 
wise  decision  of  that  council  conserved  the 
free  and  broad  spirit  which,  in  spite  of  mis- 
understanding and  much  smothering  beneath 
unw^elcome  rubbish,  has  been  the  glory  of 
293 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Christianity  tlirougli  the  ages.  It  seems  a 
little  strange,  in  the  face  of  that  early  de- 
cision, that  the  Church  has  ever  attempted 
to  bind  her  adherents  with  the  letter  of  the 
law  instead  of  liberating  them  with  the  spirit 
of  the  gospel.  The  attempts  which  the 
Church  has  made  to  erect  a  dogma  as  a  test 
of  acceptance  with  God,  or  to  enjoin  a  cer- 
tain ceremony  as  an  essential  to  salvation, 
or  exalt  any  rite  above  righteousness,  has 
been  an  exhibition  of  the  same  spirit  dis- 
played by  those  Judaizers  who  demanded  the 
circumcision  of  the  Gentiles  as  a  step  in  the 
process  of  their  redemption.  The  dispatch 
and  wisdom  with  which  the  first  council  of 
the  Church  disposed  of  that  error  and  nar- 
rowness should  stand  as  a  constant  rebuke 
to  all  who  would  seek  to  exalt  the  letter 
which  killeth  rather  than  the  spirit  which 
maketh  alive. 

The  detailed  account  of  the  proceedings 
of  the  conference  is  given  in  the  fifteenth 
chapter  of  Acts.  We  may  call  this  chapter 
the  Minutes  of  the  First  Christian  Confer- 
ence. The  conference  was  held,  as  we  have 
seen,  in  the  year  51  A.  D.,  before  the  first 
and  second  missionary  journeys  of  St.  Paul. 
294 


THE  CONFERENCE  AT  JERUSALEM. 

The  dispute  over  the  question  of  circum- 
cision grew  heated  in  the  city  of  Antioch, 
where  Paul  and  Barnabas  tarried  after  the 
first  missionary  journey.  Some  Judaizers 
from  Jerusalem  had  come  to  Antioch  teach- 
ing dogmatically  that,  in  order  for  the  Gen- 
tiles to  be  saved,  they  must  submit  to  cir- 
cumcision ''after  the  manner  of  Moses.'* 
This  teaching  aroused  the  opposition  of  Paul 
and  Barnabas,  who  had  in  their  missionary 
labors  seen  the  Lord  graciously  save  many 
Gentiles  without  the  accompanying  act  of 
circumcision.  The  difference  between  these 
two  apostles  and  the  Judaizers  was  that  the 
former  spoke  from  experience  and  the  latter 
from  theory.  The  former  argued  from  a  true 
conception  of  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  the 
latter  from  an  utter  misconception  of  its 
meaning.  The  Judaizers  considered  salva- 
tion as  a  series  of  judicial  enactments,  while 
Paul  and  Barnabas  correctly  conceived  it  as 
a  personal  relation  between  the  individual 
and  God.  The  difference  was,  therefore,  a 
fundamental  one,  and  it  is  not  surprising 
that  the  contention  waxed  warm.  It  was  a 
matter  of  importance  not  only  to  the  disput- 
ing parties,  but  to  the  Church  at  large. 
295 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

Hence  it  was  concluded  that  the  matter 
should  be  settled  by  the  authority  of  the 
Church.  The  proposition  that  the  matter  in 
dispute  should  be  carried  from  Antioch  to 
Jerusalem  indicates  that  at  this  time  the 
center  of  authority  in  the  Church  was  Jeru- 
salem, and  that  it  was  in  the  apostles  and 
elders  in  that  city.  The  conference  was 
called,  and  Jerusalem  made  the  place  of 
meeting. 

The  conference  was  made  up  of  many 
prominent  people  of  the  early  Church.  The 
apostles  are  spoken  of  in  the  records  as  a 
part  of  the  assembly.  This  does  not  neces- 
sarily mean  that  all  the  apostles  were  pres- 
ent, but  some  of  them.  Peter  and  James 
are  especially  mentioned  because  they  took 
prominent  part  in  the  proceedings.  In  his 
letter  to  the  Galatians,  Paul,  speaking  of  this 
gathering,  mentions  John  also. 

The  James  here  mentioned  is  not  to  be  con- 
fused with  James  the  brother  of  John.  He 
had  been  put  to  death  several  years  before 
by  the  command  of  Herod.  The  James  men- 
tioned in  this  case  is  the  James  known  as 
*'tlie  Lord's  brother,"  who  was  prominent  in 
the  affairs  of  the  Church  at  Jerusalem,  and 
296 


THE  CONFEEENCE  AT  JERUSALEM. 

who  presided  at  this  council.  The  question 
can  not  be  discussed  here  as  to  whether  this 
James  is  the  same  as  James  ''the  son  of 
Alphaeus. ' ' 

Aside  from  the  apostles,  the  elders  are 
mentioned  as  being  present.  The  "Church'' 
is  likewise  mentioned,  indicating  that  many 
disciples  from  the  common  ranks  were  pres- 
ent. It  seems,  therefore,  that  the  meeting 
was  a  general  one  in  its  nature.  To  the  meet- 
ing as  thus  constituted  Paul  and  Barnabas 
came  with  the  delegation  from  Antioch.  Two 
names  are  specifically  mentioned  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  meeting.  They  are  Silas  and 
Judas  who,  with  Paul  and  Barnabas,  were 
sent  by  the  Church  at  Antioch  to  deliver  the 
message  to  the  conference. 

The  debate  on  the  question  to  be  consid- 
ered was  evidently  opened  by  the  Judaizing 
party,  for  the  account  says  that  certain  of 
the  sect  of  the  Pharisees  which  believed  de- 
clared that  it  was  needful  for  the  Gentile 
converts  to  be  circumcised  and  to  keep  the 
law  of  Moses.  From  the  reading  of  the  ac- 
count as  contained  in  the  fifteenth  chapter  of 
Acts,  it  seems  possible  that  this  argument 
was  begun  before  the  meeting  was  formally 

297 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

assembled.  The  question  was  one  of  com- 
mon conversation  and  of  increasing  interest. 
Hence  the  apostles  and  elders  came  together 
\vith  the  Church  to  consider  the  matter. 
AVhen  the  meeting  was  called,  the  question 
was  seriously  taken  up. 

According  to  the  account  in  Acts,  there 
were  four  addresses  of  importance  made 
upon  the  question.  The  first  w^as  by  Peter, 
who  was  followed  by  Barnabas  and  Paul,  and 
last  of  all  by  James,  who  evidently  acted  as 
chairman,  rendering  in  his  address  the  final 
decision  of  the  conference.  We  are  concerned 
principally  wdth  the  address  of  Peter,  inas- 
much as  we  are  considering  his  life  and  char- 
acter. The  addresses  of  the  other  speakers 
concern  us  only  as  they  contributed  to  the 
ultimate  settlement  of  the  question  at  stake. 
Mention  of  that  settlement  will  be  made  in 
the  next  chapter. 

It  is  apparent  that  the  address  of  Peter 
would  be  received  with  great  consideration 
by  the  council  inasmuch  as  he  was  one  who 
had  journeyed  with  the  Lord  from  the  be- 
ginning. He  would  know,  therefore,  the 
spirit  of  the  Master.  Furthermore,  Peter 
had  spent  years  in  laboring  among  the  Gen- 
298 


THE  CONFEEENCE  AT  JERUSALEM. 

tiles,  and  his  valuable  experience  gained 
therein  would  give  his  words  something  of 
the  weight  of  authority.  It  may  be  assumed, 
then,  that  in  this  instance  Peter  was  heard 
was  intense  interest.  The  address  which  he 
delivered  is  typical  of  the  man.  It  has  cer- 
tain characteristics  which  mark  it  as  similar 
to  the  sermons  of  Peter  delivered  in  earlier 
days.  For  example,  it  displays  tact  in  get- 
ting the  confidence  of  those  addressed,  for 
it  appealed  to  their  knowledge  of  facts  in- 
stead of  offering  arbitrary  assertions.  Like- 
wise, the  address  has  the  old  familiar  key- 
note of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ. 

There  are  four  propositions  prominent  in 
the  address  of  Peter.  We  are  not  to  assume 
that  the  address  is  recorded  in  full  in  the 
Acts,  but  the  four  propositions  given  doubt- 
less contain  the  substance  of  it.  The  propo- 
sitions follow: 

1.  God  chose  the  Gentiles  as  subjects  to 
hear  the  word  of  the  gospel.  Peter  reminds 
his  auditors  that  they  know  this  fact,  and  that 
this  choice  was  made  a  long  time  before. 
He  further  declares  that  it  was  by  his  mouth 
the  Gentiles  were  to  hear  the  gospel,  which 
fact  the  auditors  also  knew.  These  facts 
299 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

were  known  so  well  that  no  one  would  dis- 
pute them.  They  furnished  common  stand- 
ing ground.  Nobody  among  the  Christian 
hearers  would  dispute  the  facts  stated.  But 
Peter  had  not  as  yet  touched  the  disputed 
point  at  all.  All  Christians  would  agree 
that  God  had  included  the  Gentiles  in  the 
plan  of  salvation,  but  the  question  was,  hoiv 
were  they  to  receive  that  salvation.  What 
was  to  be  the  condition  of  acceptance  ?  Must 
they  follow  the  old  custom  among  the  Jews 
and  be  circumcised,  or  could  they  be  accepted 
without  it?  Peter  did  not  touch  upon  the 
main  question  in  his  first  proposition,  but 
by  it  having  gained  a  common  ground  on 
which  to  stand  with  his  opponents,  he  went 
on  to  the  second  proposition. 

2.  God  made  the  condition  of  salvation 
to  be  faith  in  Christ.  Here  Peter  approached 
the  point  in  dispute.  The  condition  of  ac- 
ceptance was  not  circumcision,  but  faith. 
They  were  purified  by  faith  and  not  by  cir- 
cumcision. Peter  strengthened  his  statement 
by  showing  that  God  had  put  no  difference 
between  the  Jews  and  Gentiles,  granting  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  both  and  purifying  the  hearts 
of  both  by  faith.  When  he  showed  that  God's 
300 


THE  CONFEBENCE  AT  JERUSALEM. 

seal  had  been  set  upon  the  method  of  receiv- 
ing the  Gentiles  by  faith  alone  in  the  act  of 
granting  to  them  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  placed 
the  question  beyond  all  dispute.  He  cited  a 
matter  of  experience  and  of  history  that 
could  not  be  rejected.  If  God  had  placed  His 
sanction  upon  the  free  acceptance  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, what  right  had  man  to  demand  another 
method  of  acceptance?  This  historic  evi- 
dence of  the  granting  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
the  strong  point  in  Peter's  address.  That 
argument  was  simply  unanswerable.  It  was 
the  strength  of  that  historic  fact  that  led  him 
on  to  the  next  proposition. 

3.  Attempting  to  enjoin  circumcision  is 
equal  to  tempting  God.  The  argument  of 
Peter  was  that  to  enjoin  circumcision  would 
be  to  go  beyond  God's  own  requirement.  If 
God  granted  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  absence 
of  circumcision,  for  man  to  require  circum- 
cision would  be  to  despise  the  method  of  God. 
Furthermore,  Peter  pointed  out  the  fact  that 
it  would  be  placing  upon  the  new  converts  a 
yoke  too  heavy  to  be  borne.  That  Peter 
herein  pointed  out  a  real  danger  may  be  seen 
when  one  stops  to  consider  the  slow  progress 
Christianity  must  of  necessity  have  made 
301 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

among  the  nations  of  the  world  had  circum- 
cision been  made  a  necessary  yoke. 

The  last  proposition  of  Peter  was  in  the 
form  of  a  summary. 

4.  Faith  in  Christ  is  the  universal  condi- 
tion of  salvation.  This  was  the  heart  of 
Peter's  gospel  always.  And  it  was  the  secret 
of  his  success  in  evangelism.  It  is  the  truth 
which  through  the  ages  has  given  wings  to 
the  gospel.  Every  great  Christian  reformer 
and  evangelist  from  Peter  to  the  present  day 
has  had  this  truth  for  his  theme.  On  it  as 
a  platform  the  feet  of  the  successful  preacher 
and  Christian  worker  must  ever  be  placed. 

The  soundness  of  Peter's  argument  is  evi- 
denced in  the  fact  that  he  was  supported  in 
his  position  by  the  speakers  who  followed — 
Barnabas,  Paul,  and  James.  Moreover,  the 
position  of  Peter  was  accepted  by  the  con- 
ference and  formally  sent  by  chosen  members 
to  the  Church  at  Antioch  as  the  final  decision 
of  the  first  Christian  council. 

It  is  a  matter  of  interest  to  note  that 

after  all  the  changes  and  trying  experiences 

through  which  Peter  has  passed,  when  we 

come  to  hear  his  voice  for  the  last  time  in 

302 


THE  CONFEEENCE  AT  JERUSALEM. 

the  history  of  the  early  Church,  that  voice 
rings  true  in  sounding  the  note  of  universal 
redemption  through  Christ — "We  believe 
that  through  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  we  shall  be  saved,  even  as  they." 


303 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  INCIDENT  AT  ANTIOCH. 

With  the  close  of  the  conference  at  Jerusa- 
lem the  Book  of  Acts  drops  the  curtain  on 
the  life  of  Peter.  Nor  does  the  New  Testa- 
ment elsewhere  throw  much  light  on  the  clos- 
ing days  of  his  life.  Some  facts  are  learned 
by  inference  from  the  two  Epistles  which 
bear  his  name,  and  there  is  one  distinct  ref- 
erence made  to  him  in  Paul's  letter  to  the 
Galatians.  Aside  from  these  sources,  there 
is  little  to  be  learned  in  the  New  Testament 
concerning  the  closing  days  of  Peter's  life. 
Much  is  mentioned  by  tradition,  as  will  bo 
shown  in  the  closing  chapter,  but  reliable 
history  is  lacking. 

The  reference  to  Peter  made  by  Paul,  as 
mentioned  above,  is  recorded  in  the  second 
chapter  of  Galatians,  from  the  eleventh  to 
the  fourteenth  verses.  From  this  reference 
and  from  suggestions  found  in  tradition  and 
secular  sources,  a  probable  account  of  Peter's 
life  at  this  period  may  be  had.  Peter  evi- 
304 


THE  INCIDENT  AT  ANTIOCH. 

dently  went  to  Antioch  not  a  great  while 
after  the  conference  at  Jerusalem,  for  the 
incident  mentioned  by  Paul  occurred  in 
Antioch  while  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  yet 
co-laborers,  which  means  before  their  sepa- 
ration at  the  beginning  of  their  second  mis- 
sionary journey,  about  52  A.  D.  During  his 
residence  at  Antioch,  Peter  lived  out  the 
spirit  of  the  declaration  made  by  the  Jeru- 
salem conference.  He  communed  freely  with 
the  Gentile  converts.  Jewish  prejudices  were 
forgotten  and  the  broader  Christian  spirit 
prevailed  with  him.  He  ate  with  the  Gentiles. 
The  love-feast  and  the  Supper  of  the  Lord 
were  enjoyed  with  them.  There  seemed  to  be 
neither  Jew  nor  Gentile,  but  Christ  was  All 
and  in  all. 

But  a  change  in  conditions  soon  occurred. 
Certain  Jewish  converts  from  the  Church  in 
Jerusalem  came  to  Antioch  and  found  Peter 
eating  with  the  Gentiles.  These  certain  ones 
from  Jerusalem  were  doubtless  of  the  Ju- 
daizers  who  are  spoken  of  in  Acts  15 :  5,  and 
who  originated  the  controversy  which  was 
settled  by  the  council  at  Jerusalem.  They 
were  converts  from  among  the  Pharisees  and 
had  as  a  governing  rule  of  conduct  a  pro- 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

hibition  against  eating  meat  with  the  Gen- 
tiles, whom  they  considered  unclean.  This 
eating  referred  to  in  the  case  of  Peter  was 
probably  the  partaking  of  the  agape,  or  love- 
feast.  The  eating  of  this  feast  was  held  as 
a  mark  of  brotherly  love  among  early  Chris- 
tians. A  refusal  to  eat  it  would  be  regarded 
as  a  denial  of  the  spirit  of  brotherhood. 
Hence  in  the  thought  of  Peter  it  was  neces- 
sary that  the  custom  of  eating  the  agape 
should  be  maintained.  He  gave  himself  to 
the  custom. 

When  the  Judaizers  from  Jerusalem  ob- 
served that  Peter  ate  with  the  Gentiles,  they 
began  a  process  of  bitter  denunciation.  One 
thing  in  the  favor  of  these  critics  was  the 
fact  that  they  purported  to  come  from  James, 
and  would  claim,  therefore,  the  sanction  of 
James  to  their  objections.  Moreover,  they 
were  tactful  enough  not  to  attack  the  decision 
of  the  council.  They  made  no  effort  to  annul 
its  decrees.  They  merely  accused  Peter  of 
going  beyond  anything  intended  by  the  coun- 
cil when  he  condescended  to  eat  with  the 
Gentiles.  The  council  had  decreed  that  the 
Gentiles  should  be  admitted  into  Christian 
fellowship  without  circumcision,  but  it  had 

306 


THE  INCIDENT  AT  ANTIOCH. 

not  decreed  that  their  admission  to  such  fel- 
lowship justified  Jews  in  eating  with  them 
as  they  did  with  members  of  their  own  na- 
tion. This  was  the  line  of  argument  urged 
by  the  objectors  from  Jerusalem. 

It  is  easy  to  see  that  such  an  objection 
would  place  Peter  in  a  dilemma.  Perhaps  he 
was  tempted  to  think  he  had  swung  to  an 
unwarranted  extreme;  that  James  himself 
would  not  sanction  his  actions;  that  his  ac- 
tions were  giving  offense  to  his  brethren.  At 
any  rate,  Peter  closed  his  intimate  relations 
with  the  Gentiles  and  separated  himself  from 
them.  The  only  recorded  reason  for  this 
action  is  that  he  feared  them  of  the  circum- 
cision. What  does  that  mean?  The  '^ cir- 
cumcision" evidently  means  Christians  who 
had  been  converted  from  the  Jewish  faith — 
converted  Jews.  But  why  did  Peter  fear  the 
converted  Jews!  Surely  not  because  of  any 
bodily  harm  that  might  come  to  him.  Since 
Pentecost  he  had  repeated^  shown  that  he 
had  no  fear  of  bodily  harm.  His  fear  was 
not  that  they  of  the  circumcision  might  hurt 
him,  but  that  he  by  his  actions  might  hurt 
them  of  the  circumcision.  If  by  continuing 
his  close  relations  with  the  Gentiles  he  should 
307 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

offend  the  Jewish  Christians  and  lose  his  in- 
fluence over  them,  and  perhaps  alienate  them 
from  Christianity  itself,  his  conduct  would 
certainly  be  harmful.  It  would  be  better  for 
him  to  separate  himself,  at  least  for  a  time, 
from  such  close  contact  with  the  Gentiles. 
Thus  Peter  probably  reasoned.  At  any  rate, 
he  withdrew  and  separated  himself  from 
them. 

This  act  on  the  part  of  Peter  has  gen- 
erally been  interpreted  as  a  mark  of  weak- 
ness or  cowardice,  and  as  a  return  to  the 
same  spirit  that  possessed  him  on  the  night 
of  the  denial.  However,  it  is  not  necessary 
to  so  consider  his  conduct.  In  the  light  of 
the  interpretation  just  given,  his  act  may 
well  be  considered  as  a  mistake  in  judgment 
rather  than  a  display  of  weakness  or  cow- 
ardice. Peter  evidently  acted  sincerely, 
though  he  was  mistaken  in  his  judgment. 
And  when  Paul  withstood  him  to  the  face 
and,  by  the  argument  recorded  in  the  second 
chapter  of  Galatians,  pointed  out  his  error, 
we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  Peter 
corrected  his  error,  for  the  later  epistles  of 
both  Paul  and  Peter  reveal  nothing  to  indi- 
cate that  Peter  continued  a  blameworthy  at- 

308 


THE  INCIDENT  AT  ANTIOCH. 

titude  toward  Christian  doctrine  and  prac- 
tice. Much  to  the  contrary,  however,  is  re- 
vealed. 

Moreover,  there  is  no  evidence  of  a  con- 
troversy carried  on  between  Peter  and  Paul, 
or  of  a  strained  relation  existing  between 
them,  as  is  so  often  represented.  The  fact 
that  Paul  withstood  Peter  to  the  face  means 
nothing  more  than  that  in  a  frank  way  Paul 
declared  to  Peter  his  error.  There  is  every 
reason  to  believe  that  Peter  received  the 
words  in  the  same  manly  way  in  which  they 
were  spoken.  No  trace  of  ill-feeling  on  his 
part  toward  Paul  is  revealed  in  his  writings. 
On  the  contray,  there  is  evidence  of  a  most 
brotherly  feeling,  such  as  that  in  the  thir- 
teenth verse  of  his  second  epistle,  where 
Peter  speaks  of  Paul  as  ''our  beloved 
brother."  Peter  and  Paul  were  friends. 
They  had  been  friends  before  the  incident  at 
Antioch.  They  were  friends  afterward,  by 
the  testimony  of  their  writings.  There  is  no 
reason  for  believing  that  they  were  not 
friends  at  the  time  the  incident  occurred. 
It  is  a  weakness  in  judgment  to  conclude  that 
because  one  person  criticises  the  conduct  of 
another,  that  therefore  they  two  are  not 
309 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

friends.  It  is  an  error  to  assume  that  be- 
cause people  differ  in  opinions  and  express 
opposite  views  that  therefore  they  are  not 
friends.  One  of  the  sacred  privileges  of 
friendship  is  the  unrestrained  expression  of 
opinion,  and  that  without  any  thought  of  of- 
fense. This  privilege  Paul  and  Peter  exer- 
cised, and  are  not  to  be  condemned  because 
of  it.  Men  who  can  frankly  express  opinion 
and  as  frankly  receive  the  opinions  of  others, 
are  deserving  of  our  respect  rather  than  our 
censure. 

The  censure  directed  against  Peter  be- 
cause of  his  conduct  in  the  incident  at  Antioch 
is  mitigated  somewhat  by  the  fact  that  he 
was  not  entirely  alone  in  his  actions.  Others 
of  unquestioned  sincerity  and  courage  took 
the  same  view  of  the  case  that  Peter  did. 
Paul  says,  ''Other  Jews  dissembled  likemse 
with  him;  insomuch  that  Barnabas  also  was 
carried  away  with  their  dissimulation."  In 
the  minds  of  such  men  as  Peter  and  Barna- 
bas there  were  evidently  good  grounds  for 
the  position  taken.  They  were  mistaken,  but 
theirs  was  the  mistake  of  men  with  good  in- 
tentions. The  mistake  was  of  the  judgment 
and  not  of  the  heart.  Nevertheless  the  mis- 
310 


THE  INCIDENT  AT  ANTIOCH. 

take  had  its  bad  effects,  which  Paul  felt  called 
upon  to  correct.  He  therefore  called  the  mis- 
taken men  to  their  senses.  The  mistake  was 
apparently  not  persisted  in,  and  the  evil  re- 
sults were  not  very  far-reaching.  The  results 
were  not  disastrous  so  far  as  the  relations 
between  Peter  and  Paul  were  concerned. 
Nor  were  the  results  disastrous  to  the  future 
loyalty  and  usefulness  of  either. 

This  incident  at  Antioch,  while  it  may  be 
considered  unfortunate  in  the  early  history 
of  the  Church,  yet  has  its  practical  sugges- 
tions for  the  Church  in  all  ages. 

It  suggests  how  easy  it  is  for  well-mean- 
ing Christians  to  err  in  their  judgment.  In 
those  early  beginnings  of  the  Church  life 
Christian  men  made  mistakes.  Their  errors 
were  prophetic  of  those  that  men  in  every 
future  age  would  make.  The  Church  never 
has  been  free  from  mistakes,  nor  will  she 
be  in  the  years  ahead.  But  the  disgraceful 
chapters  in  her  history  are  not  those  record- 
ing mistakes.  The  disgraceful  chapters  are 
those  which  record  something  worse  than 
mistakes.  We  need  not  grieve  greatly  be- 
cause mistakes  are  made,  so  long  as  the  in- 
tent is  right.  The  problems  of  the  Christian 
311 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

life  and  the  life  of  the  Kingdom  are  so  com- 
plicated that  mistakes  are  likely  to  occur. 
If  the  mistakes  be  those  of  the  judgment  and 
not  of  the  heart,  there  is  small  ground  for 
condemnation. 

The  attitude  for  Christians  to  assume 
toward  these  mistakes  is  one  of  charity 
rather  than  censure.  The  exhortation  of 
Paul  in  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  First 
Corinthians  is  applicable  here.  Charity  is 
needed.  If  one  errs  in  his  conduct  and  falls 
below  the  standard  of  religious  living  as  we 
see  that  standard,  the  right  course  to  pursue 
would  be  that  of  Paul  in  the  incident  at  An- 
tioch — enlighten  rather  than  condemn.  Paul 
in  this  case  had  a  better  vision  of  proper 
conduct  than  did  Peter.  He  had  more  light. 
Having  more  light,  he  gave  it  to  Peter.  His 
example  is  w^orthy  of  imitation.  He  firmly 
but  kindly  opposed  the  wrong  conduct  and 
pointed  out  a  better  course.  Better  far 
would  it  be  in  the  Church  to-day  if  erring 
Peters  were  thus  kindly  but  firmly  dealt  with 
by  Pauls  possessed  of  better  light,  instead 
of  making  the  transgressor  the  object  of 
slanderous  gossip  and  bitter  reproach. 

This  incident  at  Antioch  suggests,  too, 
312 


THE  INCIDENT  AT  ANTIOCH. 

that  it  is  the  right  of  Christians  to  be  per- 
mitted to  point  out  in  kindness  the  errors  of 
their  fellow-Christians.  The  injunction  to 
bear  one  another's  burdens  is  clearly  a  Chris- 
tian one.  One  of  the  ways  of  bearing  those 
burdens  is  helping  another  to  get  rid  of  error 
in  practice  or  belief.  Because  of  immaturity 
in  experience  and  limitations  in  knowledge, 
young  disciples  of  the  Lord  are  very  likely 
to  become  guilty  of  mistaken  actions  and 
notions.  Evidently  the  way  to  improvement 
in  such  cases  is  through  a  recognition  of  the 
mistakes.  And  who  has  a  better  right  to 
point  out  the  mistakes  than  the  fellow-Chris- 
tian who  may  have  wider  knowledge  and  who 
is  supposed  to  have  at  heart  the  highest  in- 
terests of  all  his  brethren.  The  fact  is  that 
if  the  Church,  instead  of  censuring  such  in- 
cidents as  this  ancient  attempt  to  set  right 
an  erring  brother,  would  encourage  such  at- 
tempts as  the  inherent  right  of  Christian 
fellowship,  more  rapid  progress  would  be 
made  toward  better  ideals  of  Christian  life. 
Finally,  this  incident  suggests  that  Chris- 
tians should  be  willing  to  receive  friendly 
criticism  and  admonition  in  a  friendly  way. 
Peter  evidently  did  so,  and  profited  by  such 
313 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

a  course.  Modern  Christians  would  do  well 
to  display  a  similar  willingness  to  know  de- 
fects and  improve  upon  them.  One  of  the 
last  admissions  some  people  are  willing  to 
make  is  that  they  are  wrong  or  have  been 
mistaken.  Yet  it  is  evident  that  the  way  to 
improvement  is  effectually  blocked  as  long 
as  one  refuses  to  make  that  admission.  One 
of  the  first  steps  toward  future  perfection 
is  the  recognition  of  present  imperfection. 
It  follows,  then,  that  the  person  who  points 
out  to  another  a  defect  has  done  a  real  serv- 
ice by  making  possible  an  improvement  of 
life.  It  is  becoming  and  quite  wise  on  the 
part  of  those  who  are  informed  of  their  de- 
fects to  kindly  accept  the  criticism  given  and 
profit  by  it,  instead  of  fostering  ill-will 
toward  the  one  pointing  out  the  error.  One 
of  the  charming  graces  of  Christian  char- 
acter should  be  that  of  accepting  brotherly 
correction  as  an  opportunity  for  improve- 
ment rather  than  as  an  occasion  for  bitter- 
ness. 

John  Ruskin,  in  speaking  of  the  erroneous 

creeds  held  by  some  people,  said,  '*I  want 

to  macadamize  some  new  roads  to  heaven 

with  broken  foolsheads.'*    The  words  were 

314 


THE  INCIDENT  AT  ANTIOCH. 

a  protest  against  some  errors  of  theological 
belief.  A  similar  protest  needs  to  be  uttered 
against  some  errors  of  practical  belief.  The 
way  to  a  better  heaven  on  earth  might  be 
macadamized  by  broken  misconceptions  con- 
cerning Christian  relationships.  If  men 
would  destroy  forever  the  notions  that  dif- 
ferences of  opinion  are  grounds  for  the 
estrangement  of  lives;  that  the  offering  of 
kindly  criticism  is  an  offense  instead  of  a 
favor ;  that  the  reception  of  kindly  criticism 
should  invite  revenge  rather  than  reforma- 
tion, then  a  better  highway  to  more  heavenly 
human  relationships  would  be  assured. 


315 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
TRADITIONAL  ACCOUNTS. 

The  incident  at  Antioch  discussed  in  tlie  last 
chapter  closes  the  history  of  Peter's  career 
so  far  as  the  New  Testament  is  concerned, 
with  the  exception  that  a  few  meager  sug- 
gestions are  given  in  the  two  epistles  bear- 
ing his  name.  These  suggestions  indicate 
the  unfailing  interest  which  Peter  continued 
to  manifest  in  the  cause  of  Christ.  They 
imply  that  after  the  incident  at  Antioch  his 
spirit  of  evangelism  carried  him  far  from 
the  mother  Church  at  Jerusalem  and  his 
friends  at  Antioch.  The  First  Epistle  of 
Peter  seems  to  have  been  written  from 
' '  Babylon, ' '  where  Peter  had  been  visited  by 
Silvanus,  who  is  called  a  faithful  brother. 
The  meaning  of  the  word  ''Babylon"  has 
been  a  matter  of  much  discussion.  Some 
have  contended  that  the  city  on  the  Eu- 
phrates in  the  East  is  meant.  Others  have 
argued  that  the  term  is  a  sjiubolic  one  for 
the  city  of  Rome,  and  therefore  it  was  from 
the  Imperial  City  that  Peter  sent  his  letter 
316 


TRADITIONAL  ACCOUNTS. 

to  the  Christians  of  Asia  Minor.  These  per- 
sons argue  also  that  the  letter  was  sent  to 
the  Christians  of  Asia  Minor  by  the  hand  of 
Silvanus,  whose  name  is  mentioned  in  the 
letter.  This  view  is  held  by  many  who  do 
not  accept  the  theory  of  the  Eoman  Catholic 
Church  that  Peter  was  the  first  bishop  of 
Rome.  The  view  that  the  ''Babylon"  from 
which  Peter  wrote  his  first  letter  is  the  city 
of  Rome,  is  one  most  generally  held  by  care- 
ful Bible  students,  though  many  strongly  op- 
pose this  view  and  contend  for  the  city  on 
the  Euphrates. 

The  origin  of  the  Second  Epistle  of  Peter 
is  also  a  matter  of  some  doubt.  While  the 
history  of  the  letter  itself  is  uncertain,  it  yet 
makes  certain  the  fact  that  the  end  of  Peter 's 
life  is  not  far  away.  In  the  letter  Peter  says, 
''Shortly  I  must  put  off  this  my  tabernacle, 
even  as  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  showed 
me."  This  letter  also  suggests  that  the 
friendly  relation  between  Peter  and  Paul  was 
still  unbroken.  Toward  the  end  of  the  letter 
Peter  speaks  of  Paul  as  ' '  our  beloved  brother 
Paul, ' '  and  in  the  same  connection  commends 
the  doctrine  of  Paul  as  contained  in  his  let- 
ters to  the  disciples  of  Jesus. 
317 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

It  appears,  then,  that  from  reliable  his- 
toric sources  we  get  very  little  concerning 
the  end  of  Peter's  life.  There  is,  however,  a 
great  mass  of  statements  concerning  his  last 
days  found  in  traditional  sources.  In  this 
mass  there  is  likely  a  mingling  of  some  fact 
with  much  fancy.  It  becomes  a  difficult 
task  in  some  instances  to  distinguish  the 
fact  from  the  fancy.  These  traditional  ac- 
counts are  full  of  interest,  and  while  not 
entirely  trustworthy,  may  yet  serve  to  throw 
some  light  on  the  closing  days  of  the  life 
of  Peter. 

The  well-known  assumption  of  the  Church 
of  Rome  is  that  Peter  spent  his  last  days  in 
the  city  of  Rome  and  met  his  death  there. 
This  assumption  is  based  on  a  tradition  which 
declares  that  Peter  first  visited  Rome  about 
40  A.  D.,  remaining  there  but  a  short  time, 
and  returning  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  was 
imprisoned  by  Herod  Agrippa,  as  recorded 
in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Acts. 
After  his  miraculous  release  from  prison, 
Peter  returned  to  Rome  according  to  the  tra- 
dition. Persecutions  of  Christians  in  the 
Imperial  City  drove  him  again  to  the  city  of 
Jerusalem,  where  he  happened  to  be  at  the 

318 


TRADITIONAL  ACCOUNTS. 

time  of  the  first  Christian  council,  in  51 
A.  D.  After  this  conference  in  Jerusalem, 
Peter  returned  to  Eome,  this  being  his  third 
visit  to  that  city.  He  there  engaged  in  active 
Christian  work,  making  converts  and  laying 
firmly  the  foundations  of  the  future  Church. 
The  tradition  asserts  that  Peter  was  still  at 
Eome  when  Paul  arrived  for  his  imprison- 
ment there.  The  messengers  sent  to  meet 
Paul  at  Appii  Forum  and  the  Three  Taverns 
were  sent  by  Peter,  so  the  tradition  says.  It 
also  describes  how  Peter  and  Paul  worked 
together  in  Rome  until  the  persecution  under 
Nero  brought  both  to  death.  During  this 
persecution  Peter  was  persuaded  by  Chris- 
tian friends  to  attempt  to  escape.  But  as  he 
left  the  city  he  saw  the  Lord  in  a  vision  and 
said  to  Him,  ''Lord,  where  goest  Thou?" 
The  Lord  answered,  ''To  Rome  to  be  cruci- 
fied yet  again."  Peter  himself  then  went 
back  to  the  city,  being  now  willing  to  go 
even  to  death  with  his  Master.  Ultimately 
Peter  was  brought  to  his  death  by  the  igno- 
minious process  of  crucifixion.  The  tradition 
has  it  that  Peter  felt  himself  unworthy  to  die 
exactly  as  his  Lord  had  died,  therefore  re- 
quested that  as  a  mark  of  his  own  unworthi- 
319 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

ness  he  might  be  crucified  with  his  head 
downward.  His  request  was  granted,  and 
thus  gladly  the  apostle  came  to  the  martyr's 
death.    So  the  tradition  says. 

Another  tradition  asserts  that  at  Peter's 
request  his  friends  built  a  tower  for  him  in 
the  city  of  Rome,  where  he  might  live  in 
seclusion  and  in  humility  to  the  end  of  his 
days.  He  lived  in  this  tower  for  six  years 
and  then  died.  He  was  buried  within  that 
tower.  This  old  tradition  says,  ''And  this 
tower  may  be  seen  in  Rome  and  they  call  it 
Peter,  which  is  a  word  for  a  stone,  because 
he  sat  in  a  stone  to  the  day  on  his  death." 

This  account  of  Peter's  death  is  so  un- 
natural and  unhistoric  in  tone  that  it  pre- 
cludes serious  consideration.  The  story 
bears  on  its  face  evidences  of  fantastic  cre- 
ation. The  tradition  of  the  Church  of  Rome, 
on  the  other  hand,  mingles  with  its  fancy  so 
much  of  possible  fact  that  it  deserves  more 
careful  consideration. 

The  claims  of  the  Roman  tradition  are  in 
the  main  reasonable,  but  their  fatal  lack  is  a 
basis  in  historical  fact.  The  sources  of  these 
claims  are  not  historic,  but  speculative.  As 
one  authority  has  pointed  out,  these  claims 
320 


TRADITIONAL  ACCOUNTS. 

of  Rome  ''are  an  inheritance  not  from  the 
authentic  teachings  of  the  apostles  or  tlie 
Apostolic  Church,  but  from  the  Ebionite 
heretics  whom  she  condemned." 

The  claims  of  Rome  that  Peter  was  in 
touch  with  the  affairs  of  the  Christian 
Church  in  Rome  for  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
and  that  the  last  years  of  his  life  were  lived 
there  as  the  head  of  the  Church,  seem  ex- 
ceedingly unlikely,  inasmuch  as  no  mention 
of  such  facts  is  made  by  any  of  the  New 
Testament  writers.  St.  Luke  includes  Rome 
in  the  history  of  the  early  Church  as  recorded 
in  Acts.  He  describes  the  arrival  of  Paul 
and  himself  in  Rome,  and  their  meeting  with 
the  chief  of  the  Jews  there.  But  no  mention 
is  made  of  Peter  as  being  in  Rome.  Had  he 
been  found  there,  Luke  could  hardly  have 
omitted  the  mention  of  that  fact.  Again, 
Paul,  in  writing  his  letters  from  Rome,  men- 
tions the  presence  there  of  Luke,  Demas, 
Tychicus,  Aristarchus,  Epaphroditus,  Mar- 
cus, and  Epaphras.  But  there  is  no  mention 
of  Peter.  It  is  impossible  to  believe  that  both 
Luke  and  Paul  would  have  failed  to  mention 
the  presence  of  Peter  in  Rome  had  he  been 
there,  especially  since  the  mention  of  his 

2»  321 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

presence  would  have  been  a  matter  of  such 
interest  to  Christians  everywhere. 

While  the  New  Testament  w^riters  are 
silent  concerning  the  residence  of  Peter  in 
Eome,  some  outside  sources  make  mention  of 
his  being  in  that  city.  Whether  this  mention 
is  based  on  fact  or  tradition  is  a  disputed 
question.  Dionysius  of  Corinth,  Irenaeus, 
Tertullian,  and  others  mention  the  presence 
of  Peter  and  Paul  in  Rome  as  co-laborers. 

In  view  of  all  these  facts,  about  the  safest 
conclusion  at  which  one  may  arrive  is,  that 
while  there  is  no  convincing  evidence  that 
Peter  ever  lived  for  any  considerable  time 
in  Rome,  and  while  the  contention  that  he 
was  the  first  pope  of  Rome  is  utterly  unliis- 
toric,  yet  it  is  probable  that  in  the  course  of 
his  evangelistic  labors  Peter  visited  Rome. 
It  is  probable,  too,  that  there  he  met  the  mar- 
tyr's death  during  the  persecutions  under 
Nero.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  not  probable 
that  Peter  and  Paul  were  laborers  together 
for  any  great  length  of  time  in  Rome,  else 
mention  of  Peter's  presence  would  have  been 
made  in  the  w^ritings  of  Paul.  It  is  likely 
that  Peter  visited  Rome  toward  the  close  of 
Ixis  career.  The  persecution  under  Nero  be- 
322 


TRADITIONAL  ACCOUNTS. 

gan  about  64  A.  D.  It  was  likely  during  this 
persecution  that  Peter  reached  Rome,  being, 
as  P'arrar  suggests,  brought  there  as  a  pris- 
oner, or  coming  to  strengthen  the  Jewish 
Christians  in  the  trying  time  of  their  perse- 
cution. We  know  that  Peter  was  in  Jerusa- 
lem at  the  time  of  the  council  at  Jerusalem, 
in  51  A.  D.  He  was  evidently  not  in  Rome 
when  Paul  wrote  his  letter  to  the  Christians 
in  that  city,  for  no  mention  of  his  presence 
is  made  by  Paul.  Had  Peter  been  in  Rome, 
Paul  would  doubtless  have  known  that  fact 
and  made  mention  of  it.  Peter  was  evidently 
not  present  during  Paul 's  first  imprisonment 
in  Rome,  from  61  to  63  or  64  A.  D.,  for  in 
none  of  the  epistles  written  during  that 
period  does  Paul  mention  his  presence.  Nor 
is  any  mention  of  him  made  in  the  epistles 
written  during  Paul's  second  imprisonment, 
from  66  to  67  A.  D.  In  the  face  of  all  these 
facts,  it  seems  reasonable  to  conclude  that 
Peter  went  to  Rome  shortly  before  his  death, 
and  after  brief  labors  there  met  his  martyr- 
dom, as  did  Paul  about  the  year  68  or  69 
A.  D.  It  is  the  opinion  of  many  scholars 
that  the  epistles  written  by  Peter  were  writ- 
ten from  Rome  during  these  brief  labors 
323 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

there,  and  tliat  the  "Babylon"  mentioned  in 
the  First  Epistle  is  the  city  of  Rome,  since 
it  is  known  that  the  term  "Babylon"  was 
frequently  used  in  the  early  history  of  the 
Church  to  designate  that  city. 

A  tradition  claims  that  the  mfe  of  Peter, 
after  being  faithful  with  him  in  his  evangel- 
istic labors,  likewise  met  the  martyr's  death 
in  the  Neronian  persecution.  It  is  said  that 
Peter,  upon  seeing  his  wife  led  forth  to  death, 
rejoiced  at  her  "journey  homeward,"  and 
for  her  encouragement  addressed  to  her  the 
words,  "0,  remember  the  Lord."  With  the 
memory  of  the  Lord's  death  for  her  brought 
thus  to  her  mind,  she  bravely  went  to  death 
for  Him.  Not  a  great  while  later  she  was 
followed  by  her  husband,  who  long  ago  had 
said,  "Lord,  I  am  ready  to  go  mth  Thee  both 
to  prison  and  to  death."  Once  he  had  shown 
that  he  was  not  ready.  Now  he  was  ready. 
Already  he  had  gone  with  the  Lord  to  prison ; 
now  he  gladly  went  with  Him  to  death. 

A  legend  of  Jerusalem  suggests  the  con- 
ception which  the  people  in  those  early  days 
had  of  the  method  of  Peter's  personal  min- 
istry, and  likewise  pays  tribute  to  the  faith 
which  the  people  had  in  his  unusual  power 
324 


TRADITIONAL  ACCOUNTS. 

as  an  apostle.  A  woman  whose  husband  was 
sick  appealed  to  Peter  to  prolong  the  hus- 
band 's  life.  Peter  answered,  ' '  I  will  on  con- 
dition that  you  become  a  beggar."  The 
woman  replied:  *'I  do  not  need  to  become  a 
beggar.  I  have  money  enough  to  support 
us."  Peter  said:  **You  must  not  beg  for 
money,  but  for  time.  Go,  and  any  time  you 
can  beg  from  another's  life  I  will  add  to  the 
life  of  your  husband."  The  woman  went 
and  found  one  of  the  ten  lepers  who  were 
cleansed.  She  begged  time  from  him,  but 
his  answer  was:  *'No;  I  have  lost  too  much 
time  already.  I  can  spare  no  more."  She 
next  found  the  young  man  whom  Jesus  raised 
from  the  dead,  and  begged  time  from  him. 
His  reply  was  that,  having  been  dead  once, 
he  had  a  still  greater  desire  to  live,  and  would 
not  hasten  death  again  by  giving  up  part  of 
his  time.  Thus  one  refusal  after  another  was 
received  until  finally  the  thought  came  to  her, 
"Why  not  give  from  your  own  life."  She 
returned  to  Peter  and  asked  if  she  might  give 
of  her  own  time.  Her  request  was  granted. 
Peter  then  took  one-half  of  her  remaining 
days  and  added  them  to  the  life  of  the  hus- 
band, and  the  happy  couple  continued  the 
325 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

journey  of  life  side  by  side  and  finally  to- 
gether crossed  the  river  of  death.  So  the 
legend  runs.  It  may  have  been  originated 
to  show  that  Peter  taught  the  lesson  that  the 
Lord  taught  the  world,  namely,  the  joy  and 
profit  of  self-sacrifice  for  the  sake  of  another. 

Traditions  describing  in  detail  the  death 
and  burial  of  Peter  are  not  lacking.  Refer- 
ence to  the  manner  of  his  death  has  already 
been  made.  It  is  stated  that  after  he  had 
been  bound  to  the  cross,  he  made  an  address 
to  the  friends  gathered  around  him,  saying: 
' '  0,  great  and  profound  secret  of  the  Cross ! 
It  is  by  it  that  God  draws  all  to  Him.  It  is 
the  Tree  of  Life  which  has  destroyed  the 
Empire  of  Death;  it  is  by  the  fruit  of  this 
tree,  0  Savior,  that  Thou  hast  opened  my 
eyes;  open  now  the  eyes  of  all  present  that 
they  too  may  contemplate  the  consolation  of 
eternal  life. '  * 

After  the  death  of  Peter,  his  body  was 
taken  from  the  cross  by  one  of  Peter's  Ro- 
man converts  by  the  name  of  Marcellus.  It 
was  buried  beneath  a  terebinth  tree,  and  that 
night  Marcellus  stood  watch  over  the  grave. 
In  the  night,  it  is  said,  Peter  appeared  to 
Marcellus  and  spoke  comforting  words,  and 
326 


TRADITIONAL  ACCOUNTS. 

commissioned  him  to  go  and  proclaim  the 
Kingdom  of  God.  Marcellus  related  this  ap- 
pearance to  the  other  disciples,  and  they  were 
all  greatly  comforted.  It  is  also  said  that 
shortly  after  his  death  Peter  appeared  to 
Nero  and  prophesied  a  terrible  fate,  which 
greatly  alarmed  the  emperor. 

Traditional  accounts  also  assert  that  the 
body  of  Peter  was  buried  in  the  Catacombs, 
about  two  miles  outside  the  city,  and  that 
after  resting  there  eighteen  months,  the  body 
was  taken  up  and  buried  on  the  Vatican  Hill. 
It  is  supposed  that  after  many  years  had 
passed  the  bones  were  again  taken  up  and 
somewhat  scattered,  so  that  part  of  the  body 
now  rests  beneath  the  Church  of  S.  Paolp 
fuori  ]e  Mura  and  another  part  in  a  vault 
known  as  the  Confessio  di  S.  Pietro  in  the 
great  Cathedral  in  Rome,  while  the  head  is 
supposed  to  rest  in  the  Basilica  of  S.  Gio- 
vanni in  Laterano.  It  must  not  be  forgotten, 
however,  that  in  all  this  mass  of  statements 
we  are  dealing  with  tradition  and  not  with 
history. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  closing  days 
of  the  life  of  St.  Peter  are  wrapped  in  so 
much  mystery  and  colored  with  so  much  of 

327 


THE  EXALTED  FISHERMAN. 

fantastic  tradition.  But  whatever  the  real 
historic  facts  in  the  case  may  be,  we  may  feel 
assured  that  the  humble  fisherman,  exalted 
as  he  was  by  the  authority  of  the  Christ  and 
empowered  as  he  was  by  the  baptism  at 
Pentecost,  came  to  the  end  of  his  troubled 
career  with  the  fidelity  and  courage  of  a 
Christian  soldier.  For  his  life  with  its  range 
of  experiences,  we  are  thankful.  We  pity 
him  in  his  mistakes.  We  weep  with  him  in 
his  penitence.  We  honor  him  in  his  daring 
endeavor.  We  rejoice  with  him  in  his  em- 
powering. We  glory  in  his  vast  service  for 
the  Kingdom.  We  behold  in  him  an  example 
of  the  beauty  and  fruitage  God  is  able  to 
produce  in  a  life  barren  of  talent  and  op- 
pressed by  many  human  frailties. 

The  poem  wdiich  follows  furnishes  a  fit- 
ting close  to  this  volume  and  also  breathes 
a  prayer  which  will  find  a  response  in  the 
heart  of  every  admirer  of  the  Exalted  Fish- 
erman, Peter  the  Apostle: 

Lord,  when  temptations  crowd  my  day. 
And  I  the  hostile  throng  must  face, 

Keep  me  from  drifting  far  away 
To  skulk  in  guilt  and  sore  disgrace, 
As  Peter  did! 

328 


TRADITIONAL  ACCOUNTS. 

Should  I  from  holy  ways  depart 
And  some  sad  day  my  Lord  deny. 

With  tear-wet  eyes  and  contrite  heart 

To  Thee  for  pardon  may   I  cry, 

As  Peter  did! 

When  Skepticism's  flings  would  dare 

Christ's  Deity  to  undermine, 
May  I  with  unmoved  faith  declare, 

"Thou  art  the  Christ,  God's  Son  Divine," 
As  Peter  did! 

And  when  the  Pentecostal  shower 
Shall  baptize  men  for  holy  strife. 

May  I  receive  the  heaven-sent  power 
To  teach  lost  souls  the  way  of  life. 
As  Peter  did! 

When  civic  wrong  and  social  ill 

Would  seal  the  lips  that  should  condemn. 

With,  "What  is  RIGHT,  that  speak  I  will," 
In  boldness  I  would  answer  them, 
As  Peter  did! 

When  life's  long  march  comes  to  a  halt, 
And  I  from  earth's  cares  find  release. 

May  I  in  death  the  Christ  exalt 
And  close  a  toil-worn  life  in  peace, 
As  Peter  did! 

329 


BS2515 .G81 

The  exalted  fisherman;  a  practical  and 

IMlli"l"'°"  '^*^^°'°9ical  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00013  4421 


i 


